The Unit was established in late 1979 with financial assistance from the N.S.W. Drug and Alcohol Authority. The NSW Health Department has continued to fund the Unit since then and its support has helped the development of several major initiatives in drug education. Library The Unit's library has a unique yet comprehensive collection of resources covering the areas of drug and health education with a primary focus on the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse. An important part of the collection are the 1000 Australian and overseas health education programs, many of which are unavailable elsewhere. All resources, including some serials, are indexed in depth on the library's computer catalogue.
Users can also access the catalogue via the web.
The library publishes a bi-monthly New Titles Bulletin and bibliographies on current health education topics. The library's holdings have minimal duplication with those of other resource centres. Where material is not held in the Health Education Unit, library staff provide assistance in its location. A Cross-Curricular Resource for Teaching Drug Education in the Secondary School. Courses Courses and seminars have been a feature of the Unit's work since its inception.