Week 7 Lecture & Masterclass Notes – Drug/Alcohol Policy + Policy Brief

Ice-Breaker & Thematic Framing

Opening medley of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (Billy Joel, 1989) vs. “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (Fall Out Boy, 2023)
- Highlighted generational span & lyric changes (Elvis ➜ COVID, etc.)
- Metaphor: each era faces new yet recurring challenges (wars, pandemics, insecurity)
- Pedagogical link: policy equips us to envision and solve such perennial issues.
Music shout-out to Amina Patel (Tier 1 cohort) & call for Tier 2 song suggestions (“Hit Me with Your Best Shot”).

Country Acknowledgement

Lecture held on unceded Bidjigal land.
Sovereignty never ceded; no treaty entered—frame of ongoing colonial context for policy work.

Course Support & PASS (Peer Assisted Support Sessions)

PASS leaders ＝ HD alumni; now mentors/friends.
Benefits: snack-fuelled, deeper course insight, sample assessments, online + on-campus.
Immediate focus: upcoming assessments & intensive skill-building.

Assessment #1 (Campaign Report) – Feedback Snapshot

Overall strong submissions; common issues: late/untimely uploads.
- $2$ -day late = $-10$ marks ⇒ pass/fail pivot.
Short extension ≠ open-ended; use Special Consideration if still delayed.
Bookings page open (Wed 1-2 pm + Thurs/Fri slots) for 15-min consults.
High-quality traits: evidence-backed claims, in-text citations, analysis beyond websites.
Weak traits: over-reliance on AI, poor referencing.
Participation feedback on Moodle (qualitative, non-graded yet improvable).
- In-class engagement ≠ loudest voice but prepared, attentive, collaborative.
Employability note: 3 recent SOSc1000 grads landed positions – lecturer promises “referee-for-life” for standout students.

Course Road-Map (Weeks 7-10)

Transition from Foundations ➜ Case Studies & Masterclasses.
- Week 7: Drug & Alcohol Policy + Policy-Brief Masterclass.
- Week 8: Gender-Based Violence + Academic Skills.
- Week 9: Health Policy + Library Search Skills.
- Week 10: Submission of Policy Brief.

Masterclass: Writing the Policy Brief (Melissa)

Real-World Job Link

NSW Gov website lists frequent “Policy Officer” roles (Health, Fair Trading, etc.).
Skill cluster: grapple with emerging tech, housing, consumer issues—mirrors assessment.

Task Snapshot

Length: $2{,}000 \pm 10\%$ words (ref list & AI declaration excluded).
Product: persuade a specific minister to adopt evidence-based recommendations.
Must display policy-concept mastery (actors, power, ideology, evidence, windows, etc.).

Permitted AI Use

UNSW-licensed Copilot recommended.
Allowed for: brainstorming, structure, locating sources, draft outlines.
NOT allowed for: wholesale writing, data fabrication, citation spoofing.
Keep iterative drafts (date-stamped) for academic integrity audits.
Prompt Design Framework (Andrew Brower’s 4 elements):
1. Goal (what you want)
2. Context (assignment, discipline)
3. Sources (direct to datasets, journals, gov portals)
4. Expectations (tone, format).
Warning: hallucinations & contradictions (Copilot gave conflicting answers on WA fine-default laws within same chat).
Mandatory AI Declaration table: state tool used, purpose, full prompts, subsequent human revisions.

Six-Step Planning Journey

Choose Case Study Week (Drugs, Gender-Violence, Health).
Narrow Policy Area (e.g., Pill Testing ⊂ Harm Minimisation). Must be AU-specific.
Know Jurisdiction & Minister(s) (state vs federal; Health vs Police, etc.).
Build Timeline – key events, legislation, inquiries, media spikes.
Map Actors & Stakeholders – influence levels, power, ideology.
Gather Evidence – academic, gov reports, think-tanks, opinion polls, media.

From Knowledge ➜ Recommendation

Balance interests, aim for politically feasible “win-win”.
Use policy concepts as tools, not textbook recitations.
Reference with page numbers to show engagement with literature.

Writing with Template

Sections & indicative words:

Executive Summary (~10 %) – snapshot for minister’s “only-read-one-page” scenario.
Introduction / Conclusion.
Issue & Policy Background (context, stats, timeline).
Analysis (heart of assignment): apply concepts to explain dynamics.
Recommendations (SMART, costed if needed, implementable).
AI Declaration & Reference List (APA 7).

Show ≠ Tell: Using Concepts

Stakeholders: “Residents’ associations lobby council via 3 public forums—high positional power.”
Ideology: “Business groups frame MSIC as moral hazard—profit-centric neoliberal lens.”
Power: “Pharmaceutical donor funding offers $\$3\,000\,000$ build cost, shifting agenda-setting power.”
Evidence: “2018-21 Vic ambulance data shows $\downarrow 80\%$ overdose call-outs post-MSIC (AIHW 2023).”
Good → Better → Best student exemplars showcased (mental health, MSIC, drug-detection dogs).

Key Take-Home

“Turn concepts on their head” – use them to persuade, not lecture the minister.
Optimism imagery (child with kite) – task mirrors real professional output.

Case Study Focus: Drug & Alcohol Policy

Medically Supervised Injecting Centres (MSIC)

Definition: legally sanctioned facilities where clients self-administer pre-obtained drugs under clinical supervision.
Origins: Uniting Church activism ➜ King’s Cross trial (early 2000s) – part of HIV/hep-C harm-reduction strategy.
Evidence: > $350{,}000$ injections; $\approx 6{,}000$ overdose interventions; zero onsite deaths.
Policy Frames:
- Prohibitionist/Crime (illegality; fear of encouraging use).
- Public-Health/Harm-Reduction (risk mitigation; viral-transmission decline).
Current Debates:
- Sydney proposal for 2nd site in Western Sydney (Liverpool).
- Melbourne’s North Richmond trial—community contention re proximity to school, street-level dealing.
Stakeholder Spectrum: local residents, small businesses, health NGOs, police unions, state ministers, media, users.

Video Analysis – ABC 7.30 Report Highlights

Footage: triage, vein-finder, real-time injections; staff emphasise dignity & safety.
Metrics: ambulance call-outs $\downarrow$ ; fatal ODs slightly ↓; discarded needles $\uparrow$ (mixed KPI picture).
Resident opposition ("turned into a ghetto") vs centre data (63 lives saved, wrap-around services).
Comparative reference: Kings Cross MSIC (ambulance call-outs $\downarrow 80\%$ ).
Illustrates Newman (2023) thesis: research evidence one variable among ideology, media framing, electoral calculus.

Alternative Drug-Policy Topics for Briefs

Pill / Drug Checking at festivals (coroner recommendations after 2018-19 NSW deaths).
Prison Needle-Syringe Programs (Alexander Maconochie Centre trial).
Naloxone take-home programs.
Alcohol floor-pricing in NT.
Cannabis decriminalisation in ACT.
Mandatory alcohol interlocks.

Key Concept Links

Policy Windows: earlier summits banned pill-testing discussion; 2024 summit only entertained pill-testing.
Insider vs Outsider Actors (Rhodes): health NGOs vs local chambers of commerce.
Three Dimensions of Power (Lukes): overt council meetings, covert agenda-setting, latent ideological framing.

Logistics & Wellbeing

Lecture slides in Assessment Resources folder.
Content note: drug imagery and discussion; UNSW counselling & 1300 Vodafone Blue for support.
Tutorials will:
- Workshop policy-analysis questions.
- Practise stakeholder mapping & timeline creation.
Upcoming Research Survey: anonymous study on first-year experience—voluntary but encouraged.

Quick Numerical & Formal References

Word count: $(2{,}000 \pm 10\%)$ .
Overdose interventions at Vic MSIC: $6\,000$ .
Supervised injections total: $350\,000$ .
WA 2020 Fines Legislation (re: imprisonment abolished except last resort).
Ambulance call-outs at Kings Cross MSIC: $\downarrow 80\%$ post-opening.

Checklist Before Week 8

[ ] Decide your case study & narrow policy area.
[ ] Begin timeline & save every reference.
[ ] Experiment with Copilot; draft AI declaration table.
[ ] Attend PASS / book consult for Campaign-report review.
[ ] Watch full NAM-Phil interview on Moodle (Drug Summit + evidence politics).
[ ] Skim Leganto readings on chosen topic.

“Show, don’t tell; persuade, don’t preach; and remember—policy lives in people, places, and power.”