David Gunn, MD, CCFP, FCFP, FRACGP, is a Canadian doctor who moved with his family to the Northern Rivers, NSW in 2017. He currently works in Lismore, as a GP with a special interest in paediatrics, mental health, sports medicine, addictions medicine, chronic pain and the medical use of cannabinoids. He is involved in teaching medical students, and provides education…

David Heilpern was appointed as a Magistrate in 1998, and was at the time the youngest magistrate in Australia. He ‘retired’ in May 2020. He sat in the criminal, mining, family, industrial, coronial and children’s jurisdictions of the Local Court, and was the Senior Civil Magistrate for five years. During his time on the bench, David was the principal educator…

I wandered into the field of addiction medicine as a country GP in Nimbin, NSW in the 1980s. Following an outbreak of Hepatitis B, I established the first rural needle and syringe exchange in NSW. Shortly after I established the first rural methadone clinic in NSW. In 2000 I helped establish Riverlands, a regional drug and alcohol service in Lismore…

Dr David Jacka was appointed Addiction Medicine Specialist at Monash Health in early 2013. He has worked in the area of public health for many years and in Alcohol and Illicit Drug misuse and Harm Reduction since 1993. Between 2006 and 2012 he worked with the World Health Organization as a drug treatment specialist and advisor on HIV prevention programming…

As a Harm Reduction Advocate I am delighted to be part of HRA’s initiative to raise the salience of drug harm reduction in Australia and abroad. Australia’s achievements in harm reduction are commendable. Unfortunately, the strong community support for harm reduction (demonstrated in population surveys) is not adequately matched by the policies, funding priorities and other actions of governments. […]

David Stanley is a public health communications practitioner. David has been involved in more than 110 international, bilateral, national and state public health programs. David is published in policy, program and educational texts – all relating to public health information and education programs. In 1984 David founded Convenience Advertising and developed a narrowcasting communication solution with a strong focus on development and implementation of public and preventative…

Dennis Altman, a Professorial Fellow in Human Security at LaTrobe University, is the author of thirteen books, since Homosexual: Oppression & Liberation was first published in 1972. In 2006, The Bulletin listed Dennis Altman as one of the 100 most influential Australians ever, and he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2008. […]

I whole-heartedly support the aims of Harm Reduction Australia (HRA). Although some progress has been made in the minimisation of alcohol and other drug related harm, much remains to be done. In particular, we need work in genuine partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations to reduce the disproportionate level of alcohol and other drug related harm…

Associate Professor Ted Wilkes is a Nyungar man from Western Australia.  He is Associate Professor of Aboriginal Research Programs at the National Drug Research Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences at Curtin University. Previously Professor Wilkes worked as the CEO of the Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service (DYHS), and as Associate Professor, Centre for Developmental Health, at the Telethon Institute of Child Health…