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New South Wales Public Health Bulletin New South Wales Public Health Bulletin Society
Supporting public health practice in New South Wales
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Ensuring the policy relevance of population health research: experiences from the Drug Policy Modelling Program

Alison Ritter
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, The University of New South Wales
Email: alison.ritter@unsw.edu.au

NSW Public Health Bulletin 22(2) 19-22 https://doi.org/10.1071/NB10062
Published: 19 April 2011

Abstract

Illicit drugs are an important public health concern. A unique approach to tackling this problem is represented in the work of the Drug Policy Modelling Program which aims to improve evidence-informed policy by reducing the gap between research and policy. There are three elements to the Drug Policy Modelling Program: generating new knowledge; translating evidence into information of relevance for decision makers; and studying policy processes. Key aspects include the use of computer modelling as a translational tool and the focus on understanding policy processes such as the role of media and politics, important in contextualising the research-policy nexus. Other features of the Drug Policy Modelling Program approach include engagement of diverse disciplines, and government researcher partnerships.


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