Since the 1990s, NDARC’s internationally renowned epidemiological research quantifies and characterises alcohol and other drug use and harms in Australia and identifies emerging trends to provide a framework for policy responses and interventions that improve health and wellbeing. Our epidemiological work positions NDARC as a compass for health responses. The cornerstone of our program is the world-leading Drug Trends monitoring system.

Our research on early intervention programs aims to identify, develop, and evaluate effective strategies to prevent alcohol and other drug-related harms. Our researchers collaborate with stakeholders across the sector to share knowledge and address current and emerging issues. 

Our research identifies and understands mental and physical comorbidities impacting people who use alcohol and other drugs, driving evidence-based recommendations to advance screening, detection, interventions, and implementation of effective and efficient treatment services.

Collaborating with clinicians and academics world-wide, NDARC’s treatment and harm reduction research enables optimal clinical practice and improves health outcomes. We are committed to developing new and innovative responses to reduce alcohol, tobacco and other drug problems, and evaluating existing programs in real-world settings and specific populations.

Our research evaluates policy in law, policing, harm reduction, prevention, and treatment. Drawing on expertise across various disciplines (e.g., criminology, drug and alcohol policy, health, and social policy), our research identifies responses that can reduce drug-related harms and build evidence to support a better understanding of illicit drug markets and drug-related costs.

Our program encompasses research on the health of people in contact with the criminal justice system, considering opportunities for therapeutic outcomes in these settings and responses that can reduce drug-related harms. We provide research evidence to support integrated law enforcement, health, and social policy and evidence to support improved treatment retention rates.

We partner with key population groups to ensure our research extends across and addresses the needs of diverse and priority populations. Through this work, we aim to understand better alcohol and other drug use and harms among these groups and identify tailored approaches to enhance health and wellbeing.

We use large-scale data and new technologies to support research across all our activity areas. Through routinely collected data spanning vital statistics, health service use, health registries, social services use and criminal justice system contacts, we access multiple data collections linked at the person level to provide the most accurate picture of use and harms.