National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC)

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

Decline in reported availability of methamphetamine and heroin during COVID-19 restrictions

The Drug Trends program at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at UNSW Sydney has released reports on findings from annual surveys with hundreds of people who regularly use drugs in Australia.

Out of the 884 people interviewed from capital cities who regularly inject drugs as part of the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS), 71 per cent of those who commented noted a decline in availability since COVID-19 restrictions for crystal methamphetamine and 45 per cent for heroin.

Interviewees also noted that the price of crystal methamphetamine (62 per cent) and heroin (91 per cent) had increased since the beginning of March since COVID-19 restrictions compared to before.

The Difference is Research

KEY PROJECTS

Online treatments for Suicidal Behaviours - Online interventions for people presenting to Emergency Department with self-harm or suicidal behaviors

This project will estimate the prevalence of chronic pain in people who attend emergency departments (ED) with suicidal behaviours or self-harm. It will also investigate the feasibility of offering information in the ED setting about online interventions for the treatment of chronic pain,...

Find out more

Australians’ Drug use: Adapting to Pandemic Threats (ADAPT) Study

ADAPT stands for Australians’ Drug Use: Adapting to Pandemic Threats. The ADAPT study is exploring the short and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the experiences of Australians who use illicit drugs. For more information about the ADAPT Study please visit the project website or contact...

Find out more

An open-label, multicentre, single-arm trial of monthly injections of depot buprenorphine in people with opioid dependence

Retaining patients in buprenorphine treatment is essential in maximising treatment outcomes and minimising mortality risk. Delivery of treatment via novel depot buprenorphine products has the potential to enhance patient adherence and retention in treatment. In settings such as Australia, where...

Find out more

The COVID-19 Health Care Workers (HEROES) Study

The COVID-19 Health Care Workers (HEROES) Study is an international collaboration of more than 20 countries across five continents (America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania), established to study the short- and medium-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of...

Find out more

E-cigarette Surveillance Project

E-cigarette use has increased rapidly worldwide since their introduction to markets in the mid-to-late 2000's, particularly among young people. There remains substantial global debate regarding the safety and efficacy of these devices, and how they should be regulated. In Australia, laws and...

Find out more

Novel interventions to address methamphetamines in Aboriginal communities, including a randomised trial of a web based therapeutic tool used to treat dependence in clinical settings.

Methamphetamine use in Aboriginal communities has gained much media attention, despite limited research studies to ascertain the full extent of its use and its impact. We propose a randomised trial of a web based therapeutic tool for use in Aboriginal Medical Services to treat clients using...

Find out more

Understanding the use of pain management and other health services by people living with chronic pain

This qualitative study will use semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of ~30 Australians living with CNCP as they navigate the health system. Understanding the lived experiences of Australians with CNCP is essential to inform evidence-based, patient-centred care approaches to...

Find out more

Previous Pause Next

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

Published Research

KEY PROJECTS