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A day devoted to drug policy research

Date Published:
14 Mar 2012
Contact person:
Erin O'Loughlin
Phone:
02 9385 0124

Addiction and drug use sociologist Dr Helen Keane will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Drug Policy and Modelling Program Symposium, to be held Friday, 16 March 2012.

Dr Keane is a senior lecturer at the Australian National University’s School of Sociology and will critique the contemporary understanding of addiction, including its representation in DSM-V.

Symposium attendees will also hear from an additional 11 speakers, each there to share research findings and promote discussion about contemporary drug policy issues. Session one will address alcohol harms and policy responses. Topics will include liquor licensing, the taxation and pricing of alcohol, and rethinking alcohol in the night time economy.

Session two will delve into drug treatments, with an examination of services that address the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. The session will also cover pharmacotherapy treatment reform.

Lunch will be followed by a session on drug markets, including a look at the interplay between Australian politics, policy and the local ‘ice epidemic’, and the challenges posed by new drugs and new technologies.

The final session will address law reform, including a look at Portugal 10 years after the nation decriminalised drugs. The session will also explore the complexities associated with cannabis law reform and conclude with a discussion of drug policy reform.

DPMP is a collaboration between the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre and a number of other organisations. The aim of the Program is to generate new drug policy insights, ideas and interventions to allow Australia to respond quickly and successfully to illicit drug use.

Access the complete symposium program, including details of all speakers, or read more about DPMP.