Curtin’s National Drug Research Institute (NDRI) recently hosted the annual Kettil Bruun Society (KBS) Symposium, marking its first return to Australia in more than a decade. The event attracted 170 delegates and alcohol policy research experts from around the world.

The symposium highlighted the strong connection between NDRI’s Alcohol Policies and Strategies research program and KBS’s mission to promote and discuss social and epidemiological research on alcohol use and problems, fostering international cooperation.

Held in Walyalup (Fremantle), the five-day symposium included delegates from 23 countries who participated in research presentations, discussions and workshops focused on building capacity in alcohol research. 44 students and delegates from low and middle-income countries participated, including 14 scholarship recipients.

The official opening featured a Smoking Ceremony followed by remarks from Julia Knapton, Deputy Commissioner of the Mental Health Commission; Professor Simon Lenton, NDRI Director; Professor Gavin Pereira, Health Sciences Dean of Research (Curtin); and Claire Wilkinson, Vice President of KBS. The event celebrated First Nations people and increased attendees’ knowledge of Aboriginal culture through an Indigenous tour and traditional dance.

In the lead-up to the symposium, NDRI co-hosted the ‘International Alcohol Policy Forum: Global Perspectives on Reducing Harm’ with Western Australia’s Mental Health Commission. This forum, which reached full capacity, featured presentations from international experts on their research on the effectiveness of policy measures to reduce alcohol-related harm.

The 49th Annual Alcohol Epidemiology Symposium of the Kettil Bruun Society was supported by Business Events Perth and the Mental Health Commission of Western Australia. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of this event.