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Dr Vendula Belackova

Dr Vendula Belackova

Adjunct Senior Lecturer
Arts, Design & Architecture
Social Policy Research Centre

Dr Belackova is a recognised illicit drug researcher. Her background in economic policy (PhD) has contributed to multi-disciplinary understandings of drugs and drug policy. She has applied her research findings to current policy issues (e.g. medicinal and recreational cannabis, drug consumption rooms, injectable opioid treatment, new psychoactive substances).

She has conducted research across European countries, in the U.S. and in Australia. Between 2016-2019, Dr Belackova worked as a Senior Project Officer at the Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre. Through her previous role at the Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, she coordinated research teams as a co-investigator on several research and developmental projects funded by the European Commission, a Czech equivalent of NHMRC, and by other agencies. She received Fulbright Scholarship in 2009, Endeavour Fellowship in 2014, and a Scientific Award of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction in 2018.

As a part of her Endeavour fellowship at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (August 2014 – January 2015), she has worked on a comparative study of cannabis policies and markets in the Czech Republic, Australia (New South Wales), the U. S. (Florida), and Spain. Her work has involved quantitative and qualitative data analysis, policy analysis, and in particular, interviewing cannabis users and market participants.

Phone
02 9386 1264 / 0416 697 004
  • Book Chapters | 2022
    Belackova V; Rychert M; Wilkins C; Decorte T, 2022, 'Drug Social Clubs – the next social club generation?', in The Cannabis Social Club, Routledge, pp. 209 - 236,
    Book Chapters | 2016
    Belackova V; Zabransky T, 2016, '"Friendly" marijuana markets in the Czech Republic and in the U. S. - drug policy outcomes and risks', in Friendly Business: International Views on Social Supply, Self-Supply and Small-Scale Drug Dealing, pp. 47 - 70,
  • Journal articles | 2024
    Rodgers C; Siefried KJ; Ritter A; Belackova V; Treloar C; Jauncey M; Ezard N; Roberts D; Steele M; van den Brink W; Strang J; Oviedo-Joekes E; Lintzeris N; Dunlop AJ; Bell J, 2024, 'Implementation of time-limited parenteral hydromorphone in people with treatment-resistant injecting opioid use disorder: a protocol for a single-site, uncontrolled, open-label study to assess feasibility, safety and cost', BMJ open, 14, pp. e082553,
    Journal articles | 2023
    Belackova V; Rychert M; Wilkins C; Pardal M, 2023, 'Cannabis Social Clubs in Contemporary Legalization Reforms: Talking Consumption Sites and Social Justice', Clinical Therapeutics, 45, pp. 551 - 559,
    Journal articles | 2023
    Wiessing L; Banka-Cullen P; Barbaglia MG; Belackova V; Belbaisi SAS; Blanken P; Carrieri P; Comiskey C; Dacosta-Sánchez D; Dom G; Fabricius V; Faria H; Ignjatova L; Inić N; Jacobsen B; Javakhishvili JD; Kamendy Z; Kapitány-Fövény M; Kiss A; Kyprianou E; Marchand K; Millar T; Mravcik V; Mustafa NJY; Nordt C; Partanen M; Pedersen MU; Putkonen H; Razmadze M; Roux P; Schulte B; Seabra P; Sordo L; Strada L; Subata E; Thoma E; Torrens M; Walley AY; Yiasemi I, 2023, 'Opioid Agonist Maintenance Treatment Outcomes—The OPTIMUS International Consensus Towards Evidence-Based and Patient-Centred Care, an Interim Report', International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction,
    Journal articles | 2021
    Guarita B; Belackova V; van der Gouwe D; Blankers M; Pazitny M; Griffiths P, 2021, 'Monitoring drug trends in the digital environment–New methods, challenges and the opportunities provided by automated approaches', International Journal of Drug Policy, 94,
    Journal articles | 2021
    Nielsen S; Sanfilippo P; Belackova V; Day C; Silins E; Lintzeris N; Bruno R; Grebely J; Lancaster K; Ali R; Bell J; Dietze P; Degenhardt L; Farrell M; Larance B, 2021, 'Perceptions of injectable opioid agonist treatment (iOAT) among people who regularly use opioids in Australia: findings from a cross-sectional study in three Australian cities', Addiction, 116, pp. 1482 - 1494,
    Journal articles | 2020
    Belackova V; Salmon AM; Jauncey M; Day CA, 2020, 'Safer injecting facilities—is the research there? A comment on Caulkins et al. (2019)', Addiction, 115, pp. 784 - 785,
    Journal articles | 2020
    Belackova V, 2020, '“The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Weed”: How Consumers in Four Different Policy Settings Define the Quality of Illicit Cannabis', Contemporary Drug Problems, 47, pp. 43 - 62,
    Journal articles | 2020
    Drapalova E; Belackova V; Cadet-Tairou A, 2020, 'How to ask about the use of new psychoactive substances to increase the validity of results in self-report prevalence surveys (vol 39, pg 278, 2020)', DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, 39, pp. 774 - 774,
    Journal articles | 2020
    Drapalova E; Belackova V; Cadet-TaĂŻrou A, 2020, 'How to ask about the use of new psychoactive substances to increase the validity of results in self-report prevalence surveys', Drug and Alcohol Review, 39, pp. 278 - 286,
    Journal articles | 2020
    Lefrancois E; Belackova V; Silins E; Latimer J; Jauncey M; Shimmon R; Mozaner Bordin D; Augsburger M; Esseiva P; Roux C; Morelato M, 2020, 'Substances injected at the Sydney supervised injecting facility: A chemical analysis of used injecting equipment and comparison with self-reported drug type', Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 209,
    Journal articles | 2019
    Belackova V; Roubalova (Stefunkova) M; van de Ven K, 2019, 'Overview of “home” cultivation policies and the case for community-based cannabis supply', International Journal of Drug Policy, 71, pp. 36 - 46,
    Journal articles | 2019
    Belackova V; Salmon AM; Day CA; Ritter A; Shanahan M; Hedrich D; Kerr T; Jauncey M, 2019, 'Drug consumption rooms: A systematic review of evaluation methodologies', Drug and Alcohol Review, 38, pp. 406 - 422,
    Journal articles | 2019
    Belackova V; Salmon AM; Jauncey M; Bell J, 2019, 'Learning from the past, looking to the future - Is there a place for injectable opioid treatment among Australia's responses to opioid misuse?', International Journal of Drug Policy, 71, pp. 164 - 168,
    Journal articles | 2019
    Belackova V; Silins E; Salmon AM; Jauncey M; Day CA, 2019, 'Beyond safer injecting—health and social needs and acceptance of support among clients of a supervised injecting facility', International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16,
    Journal articles | 2019
    Drapalova E; Belackova V; Calado D; Van Dongen A; Paneva I; Pavarin R; Polidori E; Grund JP, 2019, 'Early Identification of Locally Emerging Trends in Psychoactive Substance Use–Experience and Best Practice in Four European Localities', Substance Use and Misuse, 54, pp. 1633 - 1645,
    Journal articles | 2018
    Belackova V; Brandnerova M; Vechet D, 2018, 'How Close to the “Honeypot?”: A Comparative Analysis of Cannabis Markets Under Two Different Policies Toward Personal Cultivation', International Criminal Justice Review, 28, pp. 206 - 225,
    Journal articles | 2018
    Belackova V; Pazitny M; Drapalova E; Martinez M; van der Gouwe D; Begley E; Kidawa M; Tomkova A; Kmetonynova D, 2018, 'Assessing the impact of laws controlling the online availability of 25I-NBOMe, AH-7921, MDPV and MXE–outcomes of a semi-automated e-shop monitoring', Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 25, pp. 109 - 117,
    Journal articles | 2018
    Belackova V; Salmon AM; Schatz E; Jauncey M, 2018, 'Drug consumption rooms (DCRs) as a setting to address hepatitis C - findings from an international online survey.', Hepatol Med Policy, 3, pp. 9,
    Journal articles | 2018
    Belackova V; Shanahan M; Ritter A, 2018, 'Mapping regulatory models for medicinal cannabis: A matrix of options', Australian Health Review, 42, pp. 403 - 411,
    Journal articles | 2018
    Belackova V; Stefunkova M, 2018, 'Interpreting the Czech drug decriminalization: The glass is half full – Response to Cerveny, J., Chomynova, P., Mravcik, V., & van Ours, J.C. (2017). Cannabis decriminalization and the age of onset of cannabis use', International Journal of Drug Policy, 52, pp. 102 - 105,
    Journal articles | 2018
    Belackova V; Wilkins C, 2018, 'Consumer agency in cannabis supply – Exploring auto-regulatory documents of the cannabis social clubs in Spain', International Journal of Drug Policy, 54, pp. 26 - 34,
    Journal articles | 2018
    Bell J; Belackova V; Lintzeris N, 2018, 'Supervised Injectable Opioid Treatment for the Management of Opioid Dependence', Drugs, 78, pp. 1339 - 1352,
    Journal articles | 2018
    Coomber R; Moyle L; Belackova V; Decorte T; Hakkarainen P; Hathaway A; Laidler KJ; Lenton S; Murphy S; Scott J; Stefunkova M; van de Ven K; Vlaemynck M; Werse B, 2018, 'The burgeoning recognition and accommodation of the social supply of drugs in international criminal justice systems: An eleven-nation comparative overview', International Journal of Drug Policy, 58, pp. 93 - 103,
    Journal articles | 2017
    Belackova V; Janikova B; Vacek J; Fidesova H; Miovsky M, 2017, '“It can’t happen to me”: Alcohol drinkers on the 2012 outbreak of methanol poisonings and the subsequent prohibition in the Czech Republic', NAD Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 34, pp. 385 - 399,
    Journal articles | 2017
    Belackova V; Ritter A; Shanahan M; Hughes CE, 2017, 'Assessing the concordance between illicit drug laws on the books and drug law enforcement: Comparison of three states on the continuum from “decriminalised” to “punitive”', International Journal of Drug Policy, 41, pp. 148 - 157,
    Journal articles | 2017
    Belackova V; Vacek J; Janikova B; Mravcik V; Zabransky T; Ivanovova L; Csemy L, 2017, '“Just another drug” for marginalized users: The risks of using synthetic cathinones among NSP clients in the Czech Republic', Journal of Substance Use, 22, pp. 567 - 573,
    Journal articles | 2017
    Brunt TM; Atkinson AM; Nefau T; Martinez M; Lahaie E; Malzcewski A; Pazitny M; Belackova V; Brandt SD, 2017, 'Online test purchased new psychoactive substances in 5 different European countries: A snapshot study of chemical composition and price', International Journal of Drug Policy, 44, pp. 105 - 114,
    Journal articles | 2017
    M. Salmon A; Belackova V; Schwanz RS; Jauncey M; Hiley S; Demirkol A, 2017, 'Homelessness among clients of Sydney’s supervised injecting facility', Drugs and Alcohol Today, 17, pp. 258 - 268,
    Journal articles | 2017
    Wiessing L; Ferri M; Běláčková V; Carrieri P; Friedman SR; Folch C; Dolan K; Galvin B; Vickerman P; Lazarus JV; Mravčík V; Kretzschmar M; Sypsa V; Sarasa-Renedo A; Uusküla A; Paraskevis D; Mendão L; Rossi D; van Gelder N; Mitcheson L; Paoli L; Gomez CD; Milhet M; Dascalu N; Knight J; Hay G; Kalamara E; Simon R; Comiskey C; Rossi C; Griffiths P; Molinaro S; Franchini M; Siciliano V; Benedetti E; Perduca M; Ylli A; Anta GB; Bravo Portela MJ; Indave I; Rácz J; Zábranskỳ T; Štefunková M; Dávila PF; Salekesin M; Vorobjov S; Dan M; Fierbinteanu C; Popescu D; Verdes L; Abagiu AO; Hatzakis A; Moudatsou M; Antypas T; Cadet-Tairou A; Collins AM; Liddell D; Belackova V, 2017, 'Monitoring quality and coverage of harm reduction services for people who use drugs: A consensus study', Harm Reduction Journal, 14, pp. 19,
    Journal articles | 2016
    Belackova V; Maalsté N; Zabransky T; Grund JP, 2016, 'Corrigendum to "'Should I Buy or Should I Grow?" How drug policy institutions and drug market transaction costs shape the decision to self-supply with cannabis in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic' [Int. J. Drug Policy 26 (2015) 296-310] DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2014.12.002', International Journal of Drug Policy, 29, pp. 102,
    Journal articles | 2016
    Belackova V; Tomkova A; Zabransky T, 2016, 'Qualitative research in Spanish cannabis social clubs: “The moment you enter the door, you are minimising the risks”', International Journal of Drug Policy, 34, pp. 49 - 57,
    Journal articles | 2016
    Běláčková V; Janíková B; Tomková A; Vacek J; Zábranský T; Mravčík V; Csémy L, 2016, 'The use of new synthetic drugs among problem drug users, prevalence, patterns of use, and related risks as a challenge for harm reduction programmes in the Czech Republic', Adiktologie, 16, pp. 107 - 119
    Journal articles | 2016
    Drápalová E; Běláčková V, 2016, 'Monitoring of discussion forums on new psychoactive substances in the Czech Republic, content and trends', Adiktologie, 16, pp. 131 - 142
    Journal articles | 2016
    Drápalová E; Grund JPC; Běláčková V, 2016, 'Evaluating potential hazards of new trends in psychoactive substance use, literature review of “risk assessment” procedures', Adiktologie, 16, pp. 145 - 154
    Journal articles | 2016
    Grohmannová K; Kmetonyová D; Štefunková M; Běláčková V; Zábranský T; Mravčík V, 2016, 'Online sales of new synthetic drugs in the Czech Republic in 2015', Adiktologie, 16, pp. 121 - 128
    Journal articles | 2016
    Mravčík V; Grohmannová K; Štefunková M; Běláčková V; Zábranský T, 2016, 'Narcotic and psychotropic substances are …, a proposal for a legal definition of illicit drugs in the Czech Republic', Adiktologie, 16, pp. 157 - 164
    Journal articles | 2016
    Otte R; Běláčková V; Schoenmakers A; Grund JPC, 2016, 'The local PASS toolkit: A local approach towards the reduction of psychoactive substance use', Adiktologie, 16, pp. 167 - 171
    Journal articles | 2015
    Belackova V; Maalsté N; Zabransky T; Grund JP, 2015, '"Should I Buy or Should I Grow?" How drug policy institutions and drug market transaction costs shape the decision to self-supply with cannabis in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic', International Journal of Drug Policy, 26, pp. 296 - 310,
    Journal articles | 2015
    Miovsky M; Miller PM; Grund JPC; Belackova V; Gabrhelik R; Libra J, 2015, 'Academic education in addictology (addiction science) in the Czech Republic: Analysis of the (pre-1989) historical origins', NAD Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 32, pp. 527 - 538,
    Journal articles | 2015
    Mravčík V; Běláčková V; Grohmannová K; Zábranský T, 2015, 'New psychoactive substances and their prevalence in the Czech Republic', Casopis Lekaru Ceskych, 154, pp. 216 - 221
    Journal articles | 2013
    Miovsky M; Zima T; Popov P; Fidesova H; Vacek J; Belackova V; Janikova B; Trapencieris M; Snikere S; Pulmanis T; Razvodovsky Y; Toteva S; Zhenkov V; Razvodovsky Y, 2013, 'O5 * FREE ORAL COMMUNICATIONS 5: ALCOHOL-RELATED SOCIETY AND POLICY CHANGES IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES', Alcohol and Alcoholism, 48, pp. i38 - i39,
  • Conference Abstracts | 2019
    Lefrancois E; Morelato M; Belackova V; Silins E; Latimer J; Jauncey M; Augsburger M; Esseiva P; Roux C, 2019, 'IMPROVING KNOWLEDGE OF DRUG USAGE THROUGH LABORATORY ANALYSIS OF USED INJECTING PARAPHERNALIA AT THE SYDNEY SUPERVISED INJECTING FACILITY', in DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, WILEY, Vol. 38, pp. S64 - S65,
    Conference Abstracts | 2018
    Salmon AM; Belackova V; Silins E; Jauncey M; Day CA, 2018, 'BEYOND A SAFE INJECTION: WHAT ARE THE HEALTH AND SOCIAL NEEDS OF CLIENTS OF A SUPERVISED INJECTING FACILITY?', in DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, WILEY, Vol. 37, pp. S15 - S15,
    Conference Abstracts | 2018
    Salmon AM; Silins E; Belackova V; Jauncey M; Day CA; Lafferty L; Wood W, 2018, 'SYMPOSIUM: ABOVE AND BEYOND - AN EXPLORATION OF CARE BEYOND SUPERVISED INJECTIONS AT THE UNITING MEDICALLY SUPERVISED INJECTING CENTRE', in DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, WILEY, Vol. 37, pp. S14 - S14,
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Belackova V; Salmon AM; Schatz E; Jauncey ME, 2017, 'DRUG CONSUMPTION ROOMS AS A SPACE TO INCREASE HEPATITIS C VIRUS TREATMENT COVERAGE: AN INTERNATIONAL SURVEY', in DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, WILEY, pp. 8 - 9,
    Conference Abstracts | 2017
    Day C; Belackova V; Salmon AM; Jauncey ME; Schwanz RS; Hiley S; Demirkol A; Latimer J; White M; Schatz E, 2017, 'SYMPOSIUM: CHANGING NEEDS AND EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES FOR DRUG CONSUMPTION ROOMS AND SUPERVISED INJECTING FACILITIES', in DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, WILEY, Vol. 36, pp. 7 - 7,
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Day C; Belackova V; Salmon AM; Jauncey ME, 2017, '1,000,000 MILLION INJECTIONS AT THE UNITING MEDICALLY SUPERVISED INJECTING CENTRE, SYDNEY: REFLECTIONS AND REPERCUSSIONS', in DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, WILEY, pp. 8 - 8,
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Schwanz RS; Salmon AM; Belackova V; Jauncey ME; Hiley S; Demirkol A, 2017, 'INCREASING RATES OF HOMELESSNESS AMONG CLIENTS OF THE UNITING MEDICALLY SUPERVISED INJECTING CENTRE', in DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, WILEY, pp. 8 - 8,
    Reports | 2015
    Belackova V; Ritter A; Shanahan M; Chalmers J; Hughes C; Barratt MJ; Lancaster K, 2015, Medicinal cannabis in Australia – Framing the regulatory options