Public Forum and Conference: 23 & 24 Sept 2014

Public Forum and Conference: 23 & 24 September 2014

The ACT ATOD Sector Conference is the major event each year in which all parts of our sector (practitioners, policy makers, researchers, consumers and families) connect and consider challenges and opportunities now and into the future. With less than 10 spots left we encourage you to register now!

Public Forum: Better Understanding Evidence-Based Medicinal Cannabis Option for the ACT

ATODA, the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) and the AIDS Action Council

There is widespread interest in medicinal cannabis in Australia, with the ACT Legislative Assembly considering legislation and conducting an Inquiry. Currently some Australians self-medicate with cannabis for various conditions, with some doing so with the support of their physician. By doing this they are behaving illegally because all forms of cannabis are currently prohibited in the ACT and Australia.
There is widespread public support for changing legislation to permit the use of cannabis for medical purposes (69%) and for a clinical trial (74%).
At the forum, world-class Australian thinkers will discuss the evidence base for medicinal cannabis including for which conditions it is indicated; its history and socio-political contexts; and the various supply options. The forum will include short presentations, a panel Q&A and information about current developments in the ACT.

Speakers and panel members include:

Mrs Agnes Shea OAM, Ngunnawal Elder
Emeritus Professor Laurence Mather, University of Sydney
Dr Alex Wodak, St Vincent’s Hospital & the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation
Mr David McDonald, Australian National University
Mr Shane Rattenbury MLA - who has introduced a Private Members Bill on medicinal cannabis into the ACT Legislative Assembly
Mr Michael Moore, Public Health Association Australia
Dr Chris Bourke MLA, Chair of the Standing Committee on Health, Ageing, Community and Social Services, will also describe the terms of reference and how the public can participate in the Inquiry into the exposure draft of the Drugs of Dependence (Cannabis Use for Medical Purposes) Amendment Bill 2014 and related discussion paper.
Ms Carrie Fowlie, ATODA

Date: 23 September 2014
Time: 5:30 – 7pm (arrival and refreshments from 5pm)
Venue: Reception Room, ACT Legislative Assembly
Cost: Free
RSVP: Please, to info@atoda.org.au

For more information: See the flyer

This is the free public component of the 7th Annual ACT Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Sector Conference (see below).

7th Annual ACT Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Sector Conference

What’s the drug policy ‘problem’? Our understanding of the ‘problem’ comes from different perspectives. This conference will explore why understanding different perspectives matters and how these perspectives both shape the ‘problem’ and the potential solutions. Different perspectives can also have different weight and often consumer perspectives are sidelined. We will unpack and challenge four different drug policy ‘problems’ are and seek to put ourselves in other people’s shoes. Topics include:

Medical cannabis
E-cigarettes
Drug driving
New psychoactive substances

The conference will bring together all parts of our sector including researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, consumers and families.

Speakers

World-class thinkers will be provoking ideas and discussion, including:

Professor Alison Ritter, Drug Policy Modelling Program, NDARC, UNSW
Dr Helen Keane, Australian National University
Ms Anke van der Sterren, Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT
Dr Coral Gartner, University of Queensland
Dr Monica Barratt, Drug Policy Modelling Program, NDARC, UNSW
Mr Ross Bell, New Zealand Drug Foundation
Mr David McDonald, Australian National University
Professor Max Cameron, Monash University
Emeritus Professor Laurence Mather, University of Sydney
Dr Alex Wodak, St Vincent's Hospital & Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation

Conference approach

The conference will challenge speakers and participants to apply Bacchi’s (2009) ‘What’s the problem represented to be’ questions, including:

What is the ‘problem’ represented to be in a specific policy?
What presuppositions or assumptions underlie this representation of the ‘problem’?
How has the representation of the ‘problem’ come about?
What is left unproblematic in this problem representation? Where are the silences? Can the ‘problem’ be thought about differently?
What effects are produced by this representation of the problem?
How / where is this representation of the ‘problem’ produced, disseminated and defended?
How could it be questioned, disrupted and replaced?

Each session will include ‘a consumer perspective’ which will be developed in advance in consultation with consumers. This will provide a perspective on the given drug policy ‘problem’.

Date: Wednesday 24 September 2014
Time: 9am – 5pm
Venue: National Portrait Gallery of Australia (King Edward Terrace, Parkes)
Fees: ATODA members: $88.00, Non-ATODA members: $118.00, Consumers and families: Free (limited places – 10% of the registrations are fully subsidised, contact ATODA to access)

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/7th-annual-act-alcohol-tobacco-and-other-drug-sector-conference-tickets-12316104801

For more information: Visit the ATODA website, email conference@atoda.org.au, or call (02) 6255 4070

The Alcohol and Other Drugs Conference Program is supported by funding from the Australian Government under the ‘Substance Misuse Prevention and Service Improvement Grants Funds' and is managed by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education.