2026 International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP) Conference
30 June-02 July 2026
Perth/Boorloo, Western Australia
Key information
The National Drug Research Institute (NDRI), at Curtin University, is hosting the 2026 International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP) Conference in Perth in mid-2026. It is the first time the annual event is being held in Perth and the first time since 2016 it has been hosted in Australia.
ISSDP is a society of scholars committed to advancing drug policy research. Its aims include to be a forum for high quality drug policy analysis, develop the scientific base for policy decisions, and improve the interface between researchers and policy makers.
The ISSDP scholarly international conference represents the leading interdisciplinary global forum for bringing together international experts working in the drug policy field. ISSDP 2026 conference co-convenors are Simon Lenton (NDRI), Paul Dietze (NDRI and Burnet Institute), Paul Dessauer (Peer Based Harm Reduction WA), Bronwyn Myers (enAble Institute, Curtin) and Bep Uink (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet).
Conference themes
The 19th annual ISSDP conference will bring together drug policy scholars, policy makers, advocates and community voices, to explore drug policy, its formulation, effects and evaluation under the banner of Connecting affected communities, drug policy and public health.
Drug policy has differential impacts on affected communities, and many are often sidelined in drug policy debates, both pre- and post-reform. Similarly, the inter-connection between drug policy and public health is not often paramount in debates around prohibition or post-prohibition models. Further, in the ‘fake news’ era there are questions about the credibility of scientific and non-scientific approaches to drug policy.
Emphasising the importance of people who use drugs and First Nations people in drug policy and its scholarship, it will also highlight how drug policy intersects with drug treatment, research with people with criminal legal system contact, local communities, families and others. Incorporating ISSDP’s focus on connecting and facilitating world-leading drug policy research, the conference will showcase novel methodological approaches and bring together a broad range of scholarship across the drug market, incorporating use, supply, cultivation/production and trafficking as well as other drug policy topics. Specific conference themes are:
- Drug markets, production and supply
- Methodological innovations
- Affected communities: People who use drugs, First Nations people and others
- Evidence on legalisation and other alternatives to prohibition
- Public health, harm reduction, justice and drug policy
- Drug policy in the global south
- Drug treatment – goals, innovations and policy
- Drug policy, science and non-science in the ‘fake news’ era
- Other topics of drug policy scholarship.
Conference location
Perth, or Boorloo in the local Indigenous language, is the host city for the 2026 ISSDP Conference. Western Australia’s capital, Perth edges the Indian Ocean and is framed around the beautiful Kings Park and Botanic Garden and the Swan River. Perth is a dynamic, safe, friendly and welcoming city that balances natural beauty with a lively after-dark scene.
The conference venue is Curtin University, located in the south-eastern Perth suburb of Bentley, about 8km from the Perth CBD.
Click here for more information about visiting Perth and Western Australia
Registration
Earlybird registrations are open delegates who want to access reduced rates. ISSDP 2026 conference registration includes attendance to all conference sessions and in-program workshops held between Tuesday 30 June 2026 and Thursday 2 July 2026. Registration also includes lunch and morning and afternoon tea refreshments and entry to the conference Welcome Reception on Tuesday 30 June.
There is a reduced registration fee for early Bird registrations, ISSDP Members and students. A link to join ISSDP is available on the registration portal.
Click here to register
Further information
More information and conference contact details are available on the conference website. Further details, including keynote speakers and the program, pre-conference workshops, information on applying for visas, and discount accommodation rates for conference delegates, will be added to the conference website regularly.