‘Challenges and opportunities in drug law reform: myths and misconceptions’  

Prof Lubman will explore how drug regulation and stigma have shaped our current approach to drug consumption, and discuss the evidence and challenges associated with recent progressive policies, such as overdose prevention rooms, pill testing and drug decriminalisation.

Professor Dan Lubman BSc, MB ChB, PhD, FRANZCP, FAChAM, AM is a Psychiatrist and Addiction Medicine Specialist. He has worked across mental health and drug treatment settings in both the UK and Australia. He is Executive Clinical Director of Turning Point, Australia’s leading national addiction treatment, research and education centre, inaugural Director of the Monash Addiction Research Centre and Professor of Addiction Studies and Services at Monash University.

Dr Lubman’s research is wide-ranging and includes investigating the harms associated with alcohol, drugs and gambling, the relationship between substance use, gambling and mental disorder, as well as the development of targeted intervention programs across multiple settings.  Dr Lubman is widely published, is regularly contacted for policy advice and community comment, and led the treatment program in the ground-breaking SBS documentary series Addicted Australia.

Mind-altering substances have been part of human society since the beginning of recorded history. However, international drug laws, including prohibition, are a relatively recent concept, that have shaped public discourse and the framing of drug consumption and government policy. This has led to inconsistencies in the legality of different drugs and their associated risks and harms. However, the past decade has seen changing community attitudes towards criminal sanctions, as well as growing support for drug law reform and medical prescribing.

Prof Lubman will explore how drug regulation and stigma have shaped our current approach to drug consumption, and discuss the evidence and challenges associated with recent progressive policies, such as overdose prevention rooms, pill testing and drug decriminalisation.