Launch of the Australian Indigenous Alcohol and Other Drugs Knowledge Centre

Current topic
Published in the HealthBulletin
Posted on:
4 June, 2014
Issue
Vol 14 No 2, April 2014 - June 2014
Related topics
Alcohol use Current topics Illicit drug use Tobacco use

Chair of the National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee (NIDAC), Associate Professor Ted Wilkes, today launched a new Australian Indigenous Alcohol and Other Drugs Knowledge Centre at the NIDAC conference in Melbourne.

The Knowledge Centre web resource aims to provide the evidence base to reduce harmful substance use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It provides quick and free online access to a comprehensive collection of relevant, evidence-based, current and culturally appropriate alcohol and other drug (AOD) knowledge-support and decision-support materials and information for individuals, communities, practitioners and policy makers that can be used in the prevention, identification and management of alcohol and other drug use in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.

The contract to develop the Australian Indigenous Alcohol and Other Drugs Knowledge Centre (Knowledge Centre) was awarded to Edith Cowan University’s Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet by the Department of Health. HealthInfoNet Director, Professor Neil Drew, noted that ‘better information and knowledge are required to improve approaches to harmful substance use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Health professionals require access to a wide range of up to date and culturally appropriate materials and governments require evidenced based policy support materials. The Knowledge Centre will enable us to provide the collation and provision of advice to governments and health practitioners on Indigenous substance issues, with special focus on how current research can best inform future policy and planning and provision of strong and practical support for the Indigenous Alcohol and other drugs (AOD) workforce’.

The work of the Knowledge Centre is supported by a collaborative partnership with the three national alcohol and other drug research centres (the National Drug Research Institute, the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction, and the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre). Guidance is provided by a National Reference Group comprising of specialists in the area of AOD.

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Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
Edith Cowan University
2 Bradford Street
Mt Lawley WA 6050
+61 8 9370 6336

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