Annual ACT ATOD Sector Conference

On Friday 20 May 2016, ATODA hosted the Canberra Satellite of the 10^th Annual Conference of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP). The Conference was held at the National Portrait Gallery of Australia.

The ISSDP is a society of scholars committed to advancing drug policy research. The ISSDP’s objectives are to: be a forum for high quality drug policy analysis; develop relations among drug policy analysts and thus strengthen the field; develop the scientific base for policy decisions; and improve the interface between researchers and policy makers.

The Canberra Satellite focussed on translating drug policy research into policy and practice, providing international and Australian perspectives on three key national and ACT drug policy topics:

• What is drug policy and why does it matter?
• A global movement towards harm reduction
• Cannabis regulation and law reform: what can be learnt from the USA’s research experience?

Speakers included:

• Mr Simon Corbell MLA, ACT Minister for Health
• Professor Alex Stevens, University of Kent, UK and ISSDP President
• Mr Sione Crawford, Former Manager of the Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy and Board Member of the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League
• Professor Margaret Hamilton, Civil Society Task Force, United Nations General Assembly 2016
• Dr David Caldicott, ACT Investigation of Novel Substances (ACTINOS) Group
• Ms Carolyn Stubley, We Help Ourselves
• Dr Caitlyn Hughes, Drug Policy Modelling Program, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW
• Professor Beau Kilmer, RAND, USA
• Professor Priscillia Hunt, RAND, USA

About 100 delegates from the different parts of our sector including researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, consumers and families participated in the Conference.

The 7th Annual ACT Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Sector Conference was held on24 September 2014 at the National Portrait Gallery of Australia.

The conference explored how different perspectives on ATOD policy both shape the ‘problem’ and the potential solutions. The Conference unpacked and challenged four different drug policy ‘problems’:

• Medical cannabis
• E-cigarettes
• Drug driving
• New psychoactive substances

Each session included ‘a consumer perspective’ which was developed in consultation with consumers to provide a different perspective on the given drug policy ‘problem’.

Over 100 delegates from the different parts of our sector including researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, consumers and families participated in the Conference.

Conference Speakers

• Professor Alison Ritter, Drug Policy Modeling Program, NDARC, UNSW
• Dr Helen Keane, Australian National University
• Ms Anke van der Sterren, ATODA
• Dr Coral Gartner, University of Queensland
• Dr Monica Barratt, Drug Policy Modeling Program, NDARC, UNSW
• Mr Ross Bell, New Zealand Drug Foundation
• Mr David McDonald, Australian National University
• Professor Max Cameron, Monash University
• Emeritus Professor Laurence Mather, University of Sydney
• Dr Alex Wodak, St Vincent Hospital and Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation

The ACT ATOD Sector Conference received support from the Alcohol and Other Drugs Conference Program through from the Australian Government under the ‘Substance Misuse Prevention and Service Improvement Grants Funds’.

ACT ATOD Sector Conference 2013

The 6th Annual ACT Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Sector Conference was held on Friday 21 June 2013 at the National Portrait Gallery of Australia as part of Drug Action Week 2013. The conference was under the theme of New and Emerging Technologies: Alcohol and Other Drugs Research, Policy, Practice and Participation.

Speakers included (speakers presentations available by clicking on the presenter’s name):

• Mrs Agnes Shea OAM, Ngunnawal Elder
• Professor Debra Rickwood, University of Canberra & headspace
• Dr Monica Barratt, National Drug Research Institute
• Professor Alison Ritter, Drug Policy Modelling Program, NDARC, UNSW
• Ms Pam Boyer, Mental Illness Education ACT
• Professor Dan Lubman, Turning Point
• Associate Professor Nicole Lee, Flinders University & LeeJenn Consulting
• Ms Annie Madden, Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League
• Mr Brian McConnell, Families and Friends for Drug Law Reform
• Mr Laurence Alvis, ReGen
• Dr Sally Rooke, National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre, NDARC, UNSW
• Dr Nic Carrah, University of Queensland
• Professor Ron Borland, Cancer Council Victoria
• Ms Selina Walker, Mr Dale Huddleston and Mr Nick Hawley, Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation
• Ms Keischa Jamesom, Ms Shaye Graham, Beyond Today Performers

For more information: Download the ACT ATOD Conference Program or the Conference Follow Up eBulletin.

‘The Alcohol and Other Drugs Conference Program is supported by funding from the Australian Government under the ‘Substance Misuse Prevention and Service Improvement Grants Funds and is managed by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education’.

The 5th ACT ATOD Sector Conference 2012 was held on 19 June 2012 and was themed Integration and Implementation. ATOD Research, Policy and Practice.  The conference seeks to bring together members of the parts of our sector to discuss real world current drug policy scenarios to look at how we can strengthen intersection, interaction, integration and implementation across the sector.

Download the ACT ATOD Conference 2012 Program for further information.

The ACT ATOD Sector Conference 2011 was held on 23 June 2011 and was themed Not If, But How: Innovative and Evidence-based ATOD Policy and Programs in the ACT. The priority areas discussed included: expanding access to naloxone; drug diversion; and a needle and syringe program in the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC).

Download the ACT ATOD Conference Program for further information.