According to the World Health Organization alcohol is the world’s third largest risk factor for disease burden, the leading risk factor in the Western Pacific and the second largest in Europe.

Up to 5.7 percent of the world’s population aged 15 to 64 years use drugs including cannabis, amphetamines, cocaine, opioids and non-prescribed psychoactive prescription medication, with cannabis the most commonly used.

The use of alcohol and other drugs can cause significant health and social problems and can have a major impact on the user’s family and community.

Burnet is committed to addressing the health affects of alcohol and other drug use through the application of behavioural and clinical research, treatment practice and community-based harm reduction programs based on sound evidence.

Current Projects

• Attitudes to drug use among East African migrants in Melbourne’s western suburbs
  This project aims to explore alcohol and drug use among marginalised young African migrants.
• CREIDU: Centre for Research Excellence into Injecting Drug Use
  Improving the health of PWID through new research to inform public health policy and practice.
• EDRS: Ecstasy and related Drugs Reporting System
  EDRS aims to examine trends in the use of ecstasy and other drugs among regular users.
• Engaging men to improve family health and prevent gender-based violence
  ANCP project to contribute to the improvement of the health of men, their families and communities.
• Evaluation of the Multicultural Drug and Alcohol Service
  Formative and outcome evaluations of a new alcohol and drug service for South Sudanese youth, their families and communities.
• Examining interventions targeting high-risk drinking among young Australians
  This study aims to examine very high risk drinking in a representative sample of young Victorians.
• Exploring alcohol and other drug use among migrant communities in Victoria
  A qualitative study supported by the Wyndham City Council.
• IDRS: Illicit Drug Reporting System
  A strategic early warning system identifying emerging trends related to illicit drugs.
• New media and technology in health promotion practice
  Investigating new media/technology interventions in health promotion practice in Australia.
• OST Surveillance Study
  Ongoing surveillance of the diversion and injection of the medications used in opioid substitution treatment.
• PATH Cohort Study
  A cohort study of the trajectories of prisoners with a history of injecting drug use after release from prison.
• Sex, Drugs, and Rock'n'Roll (Big Day Out Study)
  A landmark study since 2005 of young people's risk behaviours including sex, drug use and alcohol.
• SHARP: Sexual Health And Risk Prevention Study
  Assessing responses to HIV prevention measures among Australian MSM.
• Smart phone Apps for alcohol health promotion
  This pilot study aims to review and investigate the use of smart phone applications (apps) for alcohol-related health promotion.
• SuperMIX: The Melbourne Injecting Drug User Cohort Study
  A five-year study of the dynamics of cessation of injecting drug use and any subsequent relapse.
• The Drug Policy Modelling Program (DPMP)
  Aims to improve Australian drug policy by generating new evidence; translating that evidence into policy-relevant information; studying how policy actually gets made and evaluating policy processes.
• The oral health of people who inject drugs (PWID)
  The project examines the predictors of dental care service utilisation and Oral Health-related Quality of Life in people who inject drugs.
• TRYP: Transitions and Risk in Young People project
  Investigating the influence of peer groups on behaviour in the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
• Victorian Pharmaceutical Opioid Monitoring Project
  A study examining pharmaceutical opioid use among people prescribed opioids for pain and people who inject drugs, aiming to inform policy responses in Australia.

Past Projects

• Health needs of deported U.S. military veterans in Tijuana, Mexico
  Study using qualitative methods to examine their health status and health needs.
• 2011 Vanuatu Integrated Bio-Behavioural Survey and population size estimation
  A study to estimate the number of men who have sex with men and prevalence of STIs in Port Vila.
• Alcohol advertising on social media
  Exploring young people’s opinions to inform future advertising policies and health promotion.
• Altered States: An evaluation of VAC drug and alcohol services
  An evaluation of drug and alcohol services at the Victorian AIDS Council targeting GLBTI individuals.
• Cohort study of ex-prisoners with a history of injecting drug use
  The largest ever prospective study of ex-prisoners with a history of injecting drug use in Australia.
• Enhancing education to reduce harms associated with drug use in Yangon, Myanmar
  This project is supporting harm reduction and health care for people who inject drugs and who use drugs.
• Evaluation of GLBTIQ-specific group counselling at the Victorian AIDS Council
  Evaluation of GLBTIQ-specific group counselling for substance misuse and mental health issues at VAC.
• Friendly HIV services for young key populations in Bandung, Indonesia
  A pilot project to increase testing and decrease new HIV infections in Bandung.
• Hit & Miss: Health needs of ex-prisoners with an IDU history
  Assessing drug use and health needs for six months post-release.
• HIV services for young key populations in the Philippines
  The Philippines is considering changing laws that require adolescents to seek parental consent for HIV testing. This project will explore options and contribute to better understanding of how new laws might result in improved practices.
• MIDY: The Mobile Intervention for Drinking in Young People (pilot)
  Testing a mobile phone-based intervention delivered during drinking events in young people.
• POINTED Study
  POINTED will investigate some of the factors and correlates associated with alcohol-related violence in licensed venues and night0time entertainment precincts across five Australian cities.
• SMS for Health: An acceptability trial of SMS to deliver adolescent sexual and reproductive health and anti-smoking messages to young people in Indonesia
  The trial is investigating whether communication technologies can be used to improve sexual and reproductive health knowledge and awareness, access and utilisation of services, and improve awareness of harms related to smoking, in Indonesia.
• Social networking sites for sexual health promotion: a review
  Identifying strategies for the use of social networking websites in sexual health promotion.
• Substance use and related harms among young people in the Solomon Islands
  Quantitative and qualitative research into youth substance use in the Solomon Islands.
• VMAX: Understanding meth use in Victoria
  Aims to determine meth use in Melbourne and three regional Victorian areas.
• Young Adults and Alcohol Study
  This study examines patterns of risky drinking in a cohort of young Melburnians.