Conversation with ... Professor Shane Darke
Professor Shane Darke will retire from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), UNSW Sydney at the end of 2024 after 36 years. He has been awarded the title of Emeritus Professor in recognition of his significant period of distinguished service and eminent contribution.
We sat down with Professor Darke to discuss his impressive career and insights for those working in the alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sector.
What are the biggest changes in the alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sector since you started working at NDARC in 1988?
I have been working in the sector for 36 years so there have been a number of significant changes. One of the major changes has been in the type of drug problems that have emerged. The late eighties and early nineties were the age of heroin and much of the sector’s focus was there. NDARC did groundbreaking work on overdose, methadone and buprenorphine.
In the early 2000s, the sector and the Centre saw the age of methamphetamine. The stimulants came to the fore and created a whole new set of problems. The burden fell on residential agencies, and we still don’t have any really effective medications. In recent years we’ve seen more cocaine.
NDARC has been at the forefront of these issues. In the nineties we commenced the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) – now a part of the Drug Trends program – which was successful in documenting the heroin epidemic. We were also the first to say there are trends emerging in methamphetamine.
Since the 2010s onwards, new psychoactive substances and designer drugs have emerged and the marketplace has changed. A lot of these drugs are being bought on the darknet, and we are constantly playing catch up. Nitazines, which are highly potent and dangerous, are an example of this.
The previous problems don’t go away as a plethora of new substances emerge. To quote David Bowie, “And nothing has changed, everything has changed”.
What are you most proud of when you reflect on your career?
I think the work I have done on overdose – primarily opioid overdose – because when I started people who use heroin told us it was their biggest problem. By doing interviews we saw how common overdose was.
When I first started to look at overdose, I was told there was nothing to study, that people who use heroin are young and inexperienced and the issue is with purity or impurity. I have proved this wrong. It was older, more experienced people who were the most impacted and polydrug use is the most important factor.
Crucially, we identified that most people survive at least half an hour after they overdose. There is time to intervene. Michael Farrell, John Strang and I first spoke about providing naloxone which is now available. You can make a real difference in this field.
It’s not only about being proud, it’s also been fun. I’ve worked with some of the finest minds in the world. It’s a pleasure to have conversations and share ideas with people of that calibre. It’s never felt like work.
What are the qualities you most value in your colleagues?
Having an open and enquiring mind. Not being wedded to a preexisting ideological position. Quite often people with fixed ideas want simple answers to complex problems and we work in a highly complex field. I don’t know all the answers and there’s always unexpected outcomes.
I enjoy people who have a sense of humour. Work shouldn’t just be turgid. Colleagues who are open minded, intelligent and funny make the workplace enjoyable. And broad interests outside the AOD field make for great conversation.
What do you see as the AOD sector's biggest challenge going forward?
I think the biggest challenge is the changing landscape of new drugs. Whether it’s how to identify them, getting information out about the dangers, or how to treat them. There are also perennial problems, the sector is chronically underfunded. Substance use and dependence is really important but not as prestigious as some other areas.
Another challenge the sector faces is new treatments. For example, medications to assist with methamphetamine and alcohol dependence. Huge breakthroughs have been made in smoking and opioids – depot buprenorphine is an example of a game changer that has really freed up some people’s lives - but stimulants remain a pressing problem that is not going to go away.
What would you say to someone interested in embarking on a career in the AOD sector?
Firstly, I would say it’s incredibly interesting. It’s an innately interesting area with so many different facets and it’s rewarding in the sense that you can make a difference. What NDARC has done since its inception has had a huge impact on treatment and improving people’s lives.
Substance use causes enormous harm and misery. It’s a real pleasure and incredibly rewarding to work with clinicians on the front line.
Don’t over plan your career. A career is what happens when you pop your head up after 30 years. Take opportunities and collaborate with interesting people. Your skills are applicable to a range of areas you may not have considered. If you told me I would be reading toxicology and coroners reports in 1988 I would have said, that’s ridiculous.
There’s always more work to do. It’s about building a legacy and having programs of research you can look back on after decades as a substantial body of work that matters.
What are you most looking forward to in retirement?
I would like to keep doing some work with NDARC in my role as Emeritus Professor. I enjoy my work and would like to continue to be a mentor.
I’m looking forward to travelling more. I play piano and write comedic fiction so would like to devote more time to those pursuits.
Any words of wisdom?
Enjoy your work.
The area we work in is so interesting and there’s so many wonderful people in it. It’s a privilege to work at NDARC.
My words of wisdom are, don’t overthink it. Don’t spend your life planning your career. Go and do the work. You’ll look back in decades and think, wow, that was terrific!
Other resources by Professor Darke
Lecture series: Drugs and the Body
In this series of lectures, Professor Darke examines in detail the effects of the major licit and illicit drugs on the body and mind.
Book: Pocket Guide to Drugs and Health
The Pocket Guide to Drugs and Health provides "at a glance" key points for the busy clinician on the pathologies pertinent to each drug, and options for the treatment of substance dependence.
2024 NDARC Symposium presentation: The changing face of overdose
Professor Darke presented at the 2024 NDARC Annual Research Symposium. His presentation, The Changing Face of Overdose is the first talk in Plenary Two: New, Novel and Trending.
NDARC Seminar and Webinar Series
Professor Darke chaired the NDARC Seminar Series and then the NDARC Webinar Series for 25 years. Recordings of a number of presentations are available on the NDARC website.
