Federal Member for Mitchell,
Your Ref.: 4th October 2007
Dear Mr. Cadman,
re: NDARC Output
Thank you for your considered and thought provoking letter of 4/10/07 which arrived today. In the middle of what is obviously a frantically busy time for you, I very much appreciate your taking the time and trouble to reply in person and in detail. Thank you so much.
The output from NDARC @ UNSW can be easily measured and quantified. They are an academic research institute of PSYCHOLOGISTS whose business is simply publication. Their output may thus be easily determined by going to the NDARC home page and clicking on the link to publications. On the left are the are the various headings of the categories of papers they produce, namely reports (N=287), monographs (N=61), articles (877), books (355), resources (27), the centreline magazine (17), theses (21) and annual reports (6), a total of 1651 pieces (tabulated below).
However of far more importance is to ask “What do they all mean?” Remember that these are psychologists. They are not basic scientists or biologists, so they cannot explore much at all, will never discover a new cell pathway, or a new molecule which we can treat with a drug to make addiction better in some way. Not only will they never achieve this, as their qualifications are not in the basic sciences they do not even understand the journals which are working in these areas. And in the areas where they should have alerted the nation to the link say between cannabis and mental ill health they have deliberately misled the country since their inception. This is explained by the fact that the institute is the brain child of Dr. Alex Wodak, who as we know only too well has left nobody in any doubt as to where his sympathies lie in the drug debate.
Two recent case studies from NDARC are worth noting. The foundation director is Prof. Wayne Hall. When he realized that the epidemiological and basic neurosciences studies were strongly implicating cannabis in mental health – he had to leave not only his position at NDARC and UNSW, but even left the state, and has come to Queensland! Having been the front man for the legalization push for “weed” in NSW he has now published several papers in reputable journals on its dangers! To me this shouts as loudly as possible that the truth on addiction will not be tolerated in Sydney. As our nation’s leading city this is a clarion trumpet wake up call to all parents concerned about the obvious unravelling of youth culture. The second classic example is A/Prof Louise Degenhardt who I am now advised is a principal researcher on three NHMRC grants, and whose PhD thesis is listed near the top of the NDARC Theses page as being on cannabis and mental health. She has authored a number of papers on this subject. She has steadfastly covered up the true associations throughout her career – but has been honoured by at least three grants!
Mr Cadman, may I reiterate my urgent plea, in as strong terms as I may, that this nation can no longer afford to continue without basic sciences research in the addictions field. As I have mentioned to the FHS committee chaired so enviably by Mrs. Bishop, the dishevelled appearance of most addicts is legendary, and bespeaks an acceleration of the ageing process from which we might learn a great deal, which is directly applicable not only to other mental illnesses but also to the host of degenerative disorders to which an ageing society will increasingly become subject.
I should therefore be ever so grateful if you might please organize an URGENT appointment with the Honourable the Prime Minister so I can put my research proposal for a suite of studies along these lines to him, as per the document supplied to your committee and attested with distinction by several world leaders in these fields internationally.
Yours sincerely
Dr. A. Stuart Reece,
Visiting Scientist,
Senior Lecturer, Medical School, University of Queensland
Queensland Institute of Medical Research,
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
NDARC @ UNSW Academic Output as per publications website[1][1].
Journal Articles 877, Books 355, Reports 287, Monographs 61, Resource Sheets 27,
Theses 21, 'Centrelines' Magazine Issues l7. Total 1645