Open letter in support of the Voice to Parliament

APSAD has joined more than 125 leading health and medical organisations that have signed on to an Open Letter to the Australian Public in support of the Voice to Parliament (September 2023)

APSAD unequivocally supports the Voice to Parliament

The Uluru Statement from the Heart called for 'the establishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution' following extensive consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in 2017.

Now with the referendum to be held on 14 October 2023 to take action and recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Nations Peoples of our nation, APSAD supports enshrining an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the Constitution.

The APSAD Council acknowledges that different views exist within the community and that respectful informed debate and freedom of expression are actively encouraged. However, the Council unequivocally supports the Voice to Parliament and encourages all APSAD members to educate themselves before casting their vote.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart have put together an educational FAQ about the referendum.

 APSAD has joined more than 125 leading health and medical organisations that have signed on to an Open Letter to the Australian Public in support of the Voice to Parliament (September 2023)

2 x Positions - The Mental Health Commission (WA) is seeking to appoint candidates

The Mental Health Commission (WA) is seeking to appoint candidates to two exciting and important roles within
their Next Step Alcohol and Other Drug Services program in Perth.
1. Director Clinical Services - Next Step (Perth) (https://www.ccentricgroup.com/jobs/director-clinical-services-2/)
2. Consultant Addiction Medicine/Consultant Addiction Psychiatry - (Peel – Mandurah / Rockingham, WA) (https://www.ccentricgroup.com/jobs/consultant-addiction-medicine-consultant-addiction-psychiatrist/)

A generous relocation package is available to the successful candidates. This is a great opportunity to join an
organisation working to establish mental health, alcohol and other drug systems that meet the needs of Western
Australia’s population, at a pivotal time.
If you are ready for a change and looking to take the next step in your career, we'd be delighted to explore these
roles with you.

To obtain a detailed information pack and to explore these roles further, please contact;
Pam Lubrainschik, Managing Consultant at Ccentric Group, 0452 295 088 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
or
Grant Jacobs, Senior Consultant at Ccentric Group, 0420 899 811 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Share your thoughts in a 20-minute online survey about attitudes towards psychedelic-assisted therapy

Drug and Alcohol Review - Call for Papers

2023 Annual APSAD Awards

The 2023 APSAD Awards for Excellence in Science, Research, & Practice

APSAD is pleased to announce that the 2023 Annual Awards for Excellence in Science, Research, & Practice is calling for nominations. The Awards will be presented in Adelaide at the 42nd APSAD Conference in November.

As Australia's leading multidisciplinary organisation for professionals involved in the drug and alcohol field, these prestigious Awards are our unique celebration of the outstanding efforts and achievements of individuals and teams who provide devoted and unstinting service to their communities in diverse fields and go unrecognised.

Acknowledging dedication and excellence in our sector is a key part of the APSAD Awards, as well as encouraging future generations of great researchers and clinicians.

The Awards are nominated by APSAD’s members and decided by the APSAD Awards Subcommittee. The recipient of the Early Career Award will be announced in September, with the Awardee being given the opporunity to present a keynote at the 2023 APSAD Adelaide Conference.

Head to the Awards page for more information.

Listserv for APSAD EMCR and Student Members

 This newly developed listserv has been established by the APSAD Early-Mid Career Researcher (EMCR) subcommittee to facilitate member communication and the sharing of information and opportunities for all APSAD EMCR and Student Members. Join in the conversation with other APSAD EMCR and Student members where you can share relevant news and opportunities.

Are you an APSAD Member interested in joining the APSAD EMCR Network Listserv, send an email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to join. 

Members should familiarise themselves with the EMCR Listserv Standards of Conduct before posting, and ensure the Standards are followed.This Listserv is not moderated and messages posted represent only the views of the individuals posting. APSAD does not endorse the accuracy of any "statements"

Members can opt-out of the listserv at any time by clicking the 'opt-out' link at the end of every listserv email. 

Media Release - Professionals strongly oppose Welfare Reform Bill & drug testing trial

Professionals from the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs (APSAD) strongly oppose the Federal Government’s Welfare Reform Bill and drug testing ‘trial’ for welfare recipients.

APSAD continues to strongly oppose the Federal Government’s Welfare Reform Bill and its planned drug testing ‘trial’ for welfare recipients.

President of APSAD Dr Tony Gill, said the ‘trial’ will harm the health of people who use drugs, and waste a great deal of money that could be far better spent on providing voluntary treatment.

“APSAD is the Asia Pacific's leading multidisciplinary organisation for professionals involved in the alcohol and other drug field. APSAD membership includes researchers, counsellors, psychologists, and doctors such as addiction medicine specialists, general practitioners, and psychiatrists,” said Dr Gill, who is APSAD President and has worked as a medical specialist in the alcohol and other drugs field for more than 25 years.

“As professionals who work with people with drug and alcohol-related problems, we are very clear that the drug testing ‘trial’ as currently planned is unworkable for numerous reasons.

• The ‘trial’ is not supported by any scientific evidence, medical groups have not been consulted and have had no input into it, and it is widely opposed by relevant experts
• Similar attempts have been found to be costly and/or unworkable in New Zealand, Canada, the USA and UK
• Drug testing does not tell you in someone has a problem
• By far the biggestharms from drug and alcohol use in Australia result from alchohol use, and it is not included
• The ‘trial’ may result in people with significant health problems having reduced, or  in some cases no, access to income
• The ‘trial’ will further widen the Gap of Health status for First Nations peoples
• A ‘trial’ cannot be relevant to many parts of the nation as there are many areas, including rural and regional ones, with very few drug and alcohol services as well as  poor access to pathology services
• Already there are not enough drug and alcohol services available in Australia to provide access to treatment for people who need them. Many people who currently want treatment face long waiting periods. This will be made worse by automatically referring in a whole lot of people who don’t need specialist treatment under the proposed ‘trial’
• Some APSAD members believe the trial is unethical and may decide to refuse to participate.

“Problematic drug use should be treated as a health problem, not a reason for increasing stigma and reducing access to welfare,” Dr Gill said.

 “The causes of drug problems in individuals are complex. Effective treatment for people with drug problems and support for their families is the right approach, not increasing stigma towards people who use drugs. 

“The Federal Government’s planned ‘trial’ of drug testing for people receiving welfare payments is a bad idea.

“It makes no sense to spend so much money unnecessarily on something that doesn’t work, when we know that treatment services are already chronically underfunded.

“This scheme would either rely on cheap tests that are inaccurate, in order to save money, or spend exorbitant costs on high quality yet still inconclusive testing.

“Furthermore, there is no evidence that it will actually assist people to get back to work,” he said.

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For comment or further information, contact Dr Tony Gill through APSAD 02 9252 2281.

Download the media release.