People who regularly rely on the use of alcohol or other drugs are at risk of poorer physical health, mental health and social stigma. Working with at-risk populations including young people and people who inject drugs, we take a harm reduction approach to improving health and wellbeing through evidence-based research, education and training, and community-based programs.
The health and social harms associated with alcohol and other drug use is conservatively estimated to cost the Australian community around $55 billion a year.
We aim to improve health and wellbeing and reduce harm for people who use drugs and alcohol in Australia and globally by:
- documenting and understanding the patterns of alcohol and other drug use in communities
- understanding the key points for intervention to reduce harm
- developing and testing new interventions to reduce alcohol and other drug related harms
- increasing the capacity of health professionals, researchers, policy makers and the general community through education and training
- reducing risky behaviours related to:
- alcohol consumption, with a particular focus on young people
- sexual and reproductive health when under the influence of alcohol or drugs, with a focus on young people and other at-risk populations
- emerging behavioural issues arising from work in other programs.
We have a strong history of collaboration with key national and international researchers to advance our innovative research on alcohol and drugs. Working with a variety of at-risk populations, especially young people, our approach to this work includes:
- education and training
- evidence-based research and treatment practice
- community-based harm reduction programs.
Our projects include:
- EDRS: Ecstasy and related Drugs Reporting System
- evaluation of the Multicultural Drug and Alcohol Service
- exploring alcohol and other drug use among migrant communities in Victoria
- IDRS: Illicit Drug Reporting System
- Sex, Drugs, and Rock'n'Roll (Big Day Out Study)
- SimDrink: Using simulation modelling to perform alcohol policy experiments.
