The 2024 NCCRED Symposium discussed innovations within the alcohol and other drug sector which aim to improve the health outcomes for people who use methamphetamine and emerging drugs of concern.

Some key themes of the symposium included:

risk communication in the context of drug checking services
learnings from international Early Warning systems
The use of digital interventions to improve health outcomes for people who use methamphetamine.

Symposium programme

Download a PDF version below.

NCCRED Symposium Program PDF

Recordings: risk communication, emerging drug trends and early warning systems

Risk communication of drug threats: a European perspective

Keynote address

Professor Harry Sumnall, Professor of Substance Use, School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, UK

What’s on the RADAR? Reporting to Scotland’s drugs early warning system

Spotlight presentation

Vicki Craik, Intelligence Advisor, Public Health Scotland

Designing and Implementing an Anecdotal Reporting System for Emerging Drugs of Concern

Jess Doumany, Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) & Jack Freestone, Postdoctoral Fellow, NCCRED

Three-years of comprehensive toxicology testing in sentinel Australian emergency departments: findings, learnings, future forecasting

Dr Jennifer Smith, Senior Research Fellow & EDNA National Coordinator, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia | Centre for Clinical Research in Emergency Medicine

Emerging trends in drug use, harms, and markets: Findings from Drug Trends 2024

Dr Rachel Sutherland, Senior Research Fellow, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), UNSW

Coordinating National Information Sharing on Emerging Drugs through the Prompt Response Network (PRN)

Ed Broadbent, Project Manager (PRN), NCCRED, UNSW

High Alert: New Zealand’s drug early warning system at work

Keynote address

Dr Lucy Stiles, Analyst, Drug Information and Alert Aotearoa New Zealand (DIANZ), National Drug Intelligence Bureau (NDIB) & Cam Trueman, Analyst DIANZ, NDIB

Challenges and opportunities for prompt response systems

Panel discussion

Recordings: digital health interventions for emerging drugs

iMPACT – a new internet delivered cognitive behavioural therapy program for people who use methamphetamine

Dora Karavasilis, Knowledge Translation Lead, NCCRED, UNSW

The S-Check App: a mobile app to track the impacts of methamphetamine use

Seb Baird, Digital Product Manager, NCCRED, UNSW

& Dr Krista Siefried, Clinical Research Lead, NCCRED, UNSW

Wada Wanti: Leave the Ice Alone – Incorporating a web-app into a community run alcohol and other drug support service – the importance of peer workers

Josh Callis, Alcohol and Other Drug Peer Support Worker, WCYCS

& A/Prof Rachel Reilly, Program Lead, Social and Emotional Wellbeing Research, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI)

Panel Discussion: Digital health equity - possibilities for AOD treatment