While youth illicit drug consumption is not thought to be rising in Australia, young people’s alcohol and other drug consumption remains a significant policy and public health concern, particularly where young consumers also experience intersecting forms of marginalisation. In this project we conducted a rigorous review of relevant international literature on youth alcohol and other drug outreach to identify and document a) existing research on youth alcohol and other drug outreach; b) features of high-quality and desirable youth alcohol and other drug outreach models for young people and c) major themes or issues in relation to youth alcohol and other drug outreach that need further research and consideration.

Aims

1. To review current research on youth alcohol and other drug outreach to map and synthesise the research base;
2. To document best practice models for youth alcohol and other drug outreach to inform policy and practice in SWS and elsewhere;
3. To identify gaps in the literature on youth alcohol and other drug outreach for further research;
4. To build the research literacy and capacity of SWS staff by producing a methods brief on effective critical evaluation of research literature

The project investigator team comprised:

• Professor Suzanne Fraser, (ARCSHS, La Trobe University)
• Dr Renae Fomiatti, (ARCSHS, La Trobe University)
• Dr Adrian Farrugia, (ARCSHS, La Trobe University)
• Ms Stephanie Hocking, Drug Health Services, South Western Sydney Local Health District

Publications

Fomiatti, R., Farrugia, A., Fraser, S., & Hocking, S. (2021). Improving the effectiveness and inclusiveness of alcohol and other drug outreach models for young people: a literature review. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 1-10.

Fomiatti, R., Farrugia, A., Fraser, S., & Hocking, S. (2020). Youth alcohol and other drug outreach: A review of the scholarly literature. Melbourne: The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Heath and Society, La Trobe University.