Indigenous Substance Misuse

The Indigenous Substance Misuse Program within the Discipline of Addiction Medicine is committed to being responsive to the needs and priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) communities and agencies. Over the past 10 years, the University of Sydney has worked with urban and remote Aboriginal communities, in NSW and NT, to support them in addressing Indigenous substance misuse.

The Indigenous Substance Misuse Program aims to:

• Train, foster and champion Indigenous academics, clinicians and policy makers.
• Determine appropriate and effective ways to prevent substance misuse in Indigenous communities (whether it is alcohol, tobacco, volatiles or illicit drugs).
• Determine appropriate and effective ways of treating Indigenous substance misuse by conducting clinically focused research and through refining models of clinical service delivery.
• Conduct ethically designed research that brings direct benefits back to study communities.
• Inform evidence-based policy development.

An expert advisory group guides the direction of the program of work.