We are pleased to share the 2025 NDARC Impact Report.

The report showcases our activity and achievements in the 2025 calendar year and demonstrates our continued progress in understanding, preventing, and treating substance use and related harms in Australia.

We are grateful for the support of our primary partner and funding body, the Commonwealth Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, along with other key partners including NSW Health and importantly, people with lived and living experience.

Thank you for your interest and support as we continue to work towards our vision of a world without alcohol and other drug-related harm.

Professor Michael Farrell

Director, NDARC

Download the 2025 NDARC Impact Report

The year in numbers

staff members

affiliate organisations

postgraduate students

468

peer-reviewed publications

NDARC webinars

newsletters disseminated

200+

media mentions across print, radio, television and digital outlets

993

registrations for the 2025 NDARC Annual Research Symposium

Publications

This is a selection of publication highlights from the 468 peer-reviewed NDARC publications confirmed in 2025.

JAMA Internal Medicine - Risk of Major Congenital Malformations Following Prenatal Exposure to Smoking Cessation Medicines
Medical Journal of Australia - Methylphenidate and (lis)dexamfetamine toxicity-related deaths of adults, Australia, 2000–24: analysis of NCIS data
International Journal of Drug Policy - Trends in prescription opioid analgesic use in Australia from 2015 to 2022
Drug and Alcohol Review - Exploring experiences of talk therapies among gay and bisexual men seeking to reduce or abstain from using crystal methamphetamine in the context of chemsex
Lancet Regional Health Western Pacific - Changing age profile and incidence of injecting drug use initiation among people in Australia who inject drugs: evidence from two national repeated cross-sectional studies
Drug and Alcohol Review - Excess Alcohol-Induced Hospitalisations and Deaths During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia
Addiction - Quantifying the impact of a large-scale opioid agonist treatment program on suicide prevention in New South Wales, Australia: A data-modeling study
Drug and Alcohol Review - Global Perspectives on Kava: A Narrative Systematic Review of the Health Effects, Economic and Social Impacts and Policy Considerations
Addiction - A systematic review of reviews on comprehensive community initiatives to prevent or reduce alcohol and other drug harms
Addiction - Emergency department presentations, hospitalisations and police seizure data related to gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) in New South Wales, Australia, from 2015 to 2024

Download the full 2025 NDARC publications list

Delivering the NDARC Research Strategy 2024-2027

June: NDARC’s National Illicit Drug Indicators Project (NIDIP), part of the broader Drug Trends program, published updated analyses of overdose and other drug-induced deaths in Australia from 2004 to 2023, presenting national trends in drug-related harms over time. NIDIP also analysed trends in drug-related hospitalisations in Australia between 2003 and 2023. Read more
July: NDARC research found substance use was a contributing factor in most adult bath-related drownings, highlighting the need for public campaigns and prevention messaging. Read more
September: Drug Trends released its annual national Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) and Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) reports, presenting evidence on drug markets, patterns of use and emerging harms in Australia. Read more
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The Drug Trends team at the 2025 NDARC Annual Research Symposium

NDARC research found substance use was implicated in most adult bath-related drownings

NCCRED research found a rise in young women ending up in hospital from GHB overdose
October: National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs (NCCRED) research revealed an increase in hospitalisations among young women following GHB overdose, drawing attention to changing drug use patterns and the need for targeted harm-reduction strategies. Read more
December: In collaboration with the National Drug Research Institute (NDRI), NDARC provided expert input into a draft regulation proposed by NSW Health to reduce the harms associated with recreational use of nitrous oxide while ensuring continued access for legitimate business and industry purposes.
December: Drug Trends released its annual state and territory reports, providing jurisdiction-specific data on drug use patterns and harms to support local understanding of emerging issues. Read more
The Conversation
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Drug Trends Program Leads Dr Rachel Sutherland and Associate Professor Amy Peacock wrote about key findings from the 2025 national IDRS and EDRS for The Conversation.

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March: A NDARC modelling study found the NSW opioid agonist treatment program was associated with fewer suicide deaths among people with opioid use disorder. Modelling suggests around 338 deaths may have been averted between 2001 and 2020. Read more
April: NDARC research found no evidence that quit-smoking medicines increase the risk of major birth defects, providing reassurance for clinicians and people seeking to quit smoking during pregnancy. Read more
May: Scientia Professor Louisa Degenhardt AO was awarded $2.3 million by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to lead a major research program addressing the serious health and social challenges faced by people leaving prison. Read more
July: NDARC research showed vaping was more effective than nicotine replacement therapy in helping socially disadvantaged people quit smoking, informing more equitable approaches to tobacco harm reduction. Read more
July: A review published in Addiction brought together evidence from existing reviews of community-level programs that use multiple coordinated strategies to prevent or reduce AOD harms. It examined which combinations of these strategies have the most consistent evidence across different substance types. To further support translation of this research, we are looking to develop an online resource to equip the AOD sector with easily accessible information about comprehensive community initiatives. Read more
September: Associate Professor Amy Peacock was awarded $1.99 million in Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) funding to investigate why young Australians misuse alcohol, supporting research into alcohol-related harms among young people. Read more
October: Findings from a long-term study showed young people who start drinking as early as age 12 face a substantially higher risk of alcohol-related harms later in life, strengthening the evidence base for early prevention. Read more
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Dr Duong (Danielle) Tran presenting on quit smoking medications and pregnancy at the 2025 NDARC Annual Research Symposium

A/Prof Ryan Courtney presenting research on vaping and nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation at the 2025 NDARC Annual Research Symposium

A/Prof Amy Peacock was awarded $1.99 million in MRFF funding to investigate why young Australians misuse alcohol
October: As part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) development of updated guidelines for the psychosocially assisted pharmacological treatment of opioid dependence and community management of opioid overdose, Scientia Professor Louisa Degenhardt AO and her team conducted 10 systematic reviews. Read more
October: At INHSU 2025, NDARC’s Scientia Professor Louisa Degenhardt AO and Dr Thomas Santo Jr. presented findings from two major global reviews examining the extent of injecting drug use and infectious diseases in prisons worldwide and access to treatment. Read more
November: Professor Rebecca McKetin is a founding partner and researcher of the Mental Health Australia General Clinical Trial Network (MAGNET). MAGNET is Australia’s first clinical trial network focused on adult mental health – driving better prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. In November, Professor McKetin received the MAGNET Trial of the Year award for the Tina Trial, a multi-site clinical trial of mirtazapine for methamphetamine use. Read more
December: Scientia Associate Professor Natasa Gisev received the 2025 HSRAANZ Health Services and Policy Research Impact Award for her program of work, ‘Improving opioid safety and reducing opioid-related harms’. The award recognises health services and policy research that has made a significant impact through its translation into health policy, management or clinical practice.
Collaborative contributions

Our staff members shared evidence and expertise through key external appointments, supporting knowledge exchange within the AOD sector. NDARC Director, Professor Michael Farrell, is a Committee Member of the Australian National Advisory Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ANACAD), a Board Member of Odyssey House and Faculty Theme Lead for the UNSW Medicine and Health Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addiction research theme.
March: An evaluation found that defendants in NSW who completed a 12-week voluntary treatment program for AOD use were significantly less likely to reoffend or receive a prison sentence. Read more
March: NDARC research found that placement on the NSW Drug Court program reduces the risk that a participant will reoffend, receive a prison sentence, experience drug-related emergency department admission or that the child of a participant will be placed in out-of-home care. Read more
October: NDARC research found stopping long-term opioid treatment was unlikely to increase suicide risk, addressing a critical concern for clinicians and policymakers. Read more
Our study provides timely and reassuring evidence for clinicians and individuals considering stopping long-term opioid treatment.

Scientia Associate Professor Natasa Gisev
November: NDARC research evaluated the NSW Cannabis Caution Scheme, examining reoffending outcomes associated with cautioning and prosecution. Read more
April: Nicolas Parkhill AM joined NDARC as Centre Manager, supporting the delivery of NDARC’s research programs and operations. Read more
July: MRFF-funded Tina Trial (mirtazapine for methamphetamine dependence) was completed in June 2025, marking the end of the largest methamphetamine pharmacotherapy trial conducted in Australia. This trial has significantly strengthened Australia’s capacity to conduct high-quality clinical trials in the AOD space, with more than 20 physicians trained across six Australian sites. Read more
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Nicolas Parkhill AM joined NDARC as Centre Manager

The Tina Trial is a a multi-site clinical trial of mirtazapine for methamphetamine use

Prof Rebecca McKetin and Lucy Saunders undertaking a site visit for the Tina Trial
October: NDARC employees took part in advanced cultural awareness training delivered by Mirri Mirri, supporting culturally informed research practice and workplace understanding.
November: NDARC staff participated in training and briefings on the use of emerging artificial intelligence tools to support responsible use in research and professional practice.
UNSW Medicine and Health new strategic framework

NDARC Director, Professor Michael Farrell, was a member of the Dean’s Advisory Group for the development of the UNSW Faculty of Medicine and Health’s new strategic framework, Better, Equitable Health for All. To be launched in early 2026, the new framework will guide strategic focus and is aligned with the UNSW Strategy: Progress for All.

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Also in 2025...

We supported nine students to complete learning placements at the Centre.

Three students received their Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), joining more than 100 NDARC alumni.

The Higher Degree Research group continued the Career Conversations series, which invites members of the AOD sector to share career pathway insights and key learnings.

We continued to provide information and pathways for people interested in conducting postgraduate research within the AOD sector. In addition, our staff and students received professional development funding for training and development opportunities.

Collaborating to help reduce and minimise harms associated with AOD use

In 2025, NDARC received funding through NSW Health’s Alcohol and Other Drugs Linked Analyses grant program to better understand health service use for opioid-related reasons and mortality risk. An additional objective of the grant is to build capacity within the Ministry of Health to use the linked data asset for AOD research.
September: NDARC relocated to the UNSW Health Translation Hub (HTH), enhancing opportunities for collaboration with clinicians, researchers and partners within the university and community. Read more
September: NDARC’s Annual Research Symposium brought together researchers, policymakers, clinicians and community stakeholders to share research findings in the AOD sector in Australia and overseas. Read more
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National Drug Strategy panel discussion: 40 years of policy and practice at the 2025 NDARC Annual Research Symposium

Attendees at the 2025 NDARC Annual Research Symposium

Poster presentations at the 2025 NDARC Annual Research Symposium
October: In late 2025, we commenced a review of the NDARC Webinar Series to assess its impact, reach and effectiveness, and identify opportunities for improvement.
February-November: NDARC continued its weekly Webinar Series throughout 2025, delivering 32 webinars focused on AOD research and practice. Throughout the year, the series attracted 9030 registrations and included collaborations with 24 external organisations. Read more
November: NDARC showcased 30 years of the Drug Trends program at the UNSW HTH Open House event. The Open House shared cutting-edge health research, education and innovation with more than 1200 visitors.
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NDARC relocated to the UNSW HTH in September 2025

NDARC showcased the Drug Trends program at the UNSW HTH Open House event

NDARC's Drug Trends activation at the UNSW HTH Open House
November: At the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs (APSAD) Conference 2025, NDARC sponsored the annual early and mid-career researcher networking event, an interactive session exploring career pathways and perspectives in academia. Read more
November: NDARC Director, Professor Michael Farrell, received the Senior Scientist Award at APSAD 2025, recognising his outstanding long-term contribution to the field of substance use. Read more
Also in 2025...

The 2025 NCCRED Clinical Research Symposium was held in November as part of the APSAD 2025 program, bringing together researchers, clinicians and sector partners.

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January: NDARC researchers published expert analysis explaining changes to paracetamol pack sizes in Australia, helping the public understand the evidence behind the changes and the risks associated with paracetamol-related harm. Read more
April-July: The Drug Trends team interviewed more than 1500 people across Australia who use drugs, through the EDRS and the IDRS. Read more
May: NDARC collaborated with Rankin Court Treatment Centre and Kirketon Road Centre on a study that examined the acceptability of, and behavioural outcomes associated with, take-home fentanyl test strips, and support for, and preferences regarding, drug-checking services among people who use heroin. Read more
October: NCCRED researcher Dr Jack Freestone received the Peer Researcher Recognition Award at the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) Peer Workforce and Harm Reduction Summit for his work in peer and lived-experience research. Read more
December: NCCRED launched the Australian Ketamine Survey, in partnership with AIVL, to better understand how and why people use ketamine and how using the drug has affected them, to improve consumer health and inform harm reduction. Read more
Also in 2025...

Throughout 2025, NDARC researchers presented findings at leading national and international conferences, including the APSAD, INHSU and NADA Conferences.

The SUSTAIN Team collaborated with communities and health services in rural, regional and remote locations in NSW to identify local priorities and co-design solutions that prevent AOD harms. SUSTAIN is led by NDARC and funded by the Ministry of Health through the NSW Prevention Research Support Program.

Throughout 2025, the NDARC Webinar Series included speakers and panellists with lived and living experience, sharing community perspectives from priority populations alongside research findings.