NUAA and NDARC have collaborated on research asking how people engage with drug alerts. The results show – what we already knew - that drug alerts are making us safer.

It is Australia’s most popular illicit drug and probably the most popular drug worldwide. Can you overdose from it? The short answer is yes, you can, but not fatally: cannabis alone will not kill you. But how much is too much?

“Your infection markers are through the roof ... Ultrasound found an aneurysm the size of a golf ball in your femoral artery. We’ll need to do surgery and I’ll be honest with you: it’s a high-risk procedure.” My mind flitted back to the evening I think it started when my hands were shaking so much from my medication regimen that I hit my artery. Of course, I was so impatient to get my fix in me that I didn’t bother with swabs. Bad mistake.

Golden staph is a nasty bug and surprisingly common — 8 out of 10 people have it on their skin. If you don’t swab, you can inject it into your bloodstream, and, as Sally explains, it’s not something you want in your bloodstream! So swab!

Nerida’s Story — “More importantly, I have come to believe that I have the right and responsibility to keep myself safe and healthy, and make my own decisions. I am owning my own body and veins.”

A number of things come up for users at this time of year: organising pharmacotherapy doses and inter-state transfers; wondering if your dealer is going to be working on Christmas Day; sorting out injecting equipment when NSP hours change over Christmas as staff have a well-earned break! ...But for many of us, there is no break from being a user. And the holiday period brings additional health issues for users, particularly overdose prevention and bloodborne virus awareness.

“We’ve lost too much mob!” is the theme of 3 posters about opioid overdose that NUAA has released that have Indigenous communities as their target audience. They are stunning to look at, thanks to artwork by Aboriginal artist Steve Morgan.

Kids, especially the younger ones, love to test how random things they discover taste! NUAA has published 2 posters: the first raising awareness on storing meds where children are not likely to find them and the other educating on how to recognise the signs of opioid overdose in kids.

Just because the 'love and universal oneness' vibe is peaking, doesn't mean that everybody has pure intentions. There are still opportunistic dickheads out there.

'For 20 years my life has revolved around that overdose.'

This article takes a look at the effectiveness of filtering pills or capsules. These photographs were made using MS Contin and Kapanol mixed in cold water but can equally relate to Oxycontin and other pharmaceutical drugs. A note here: hot water is dangerous because it can appear to dissolve particles but these will reform later when cooled down - in your veins.  

Ice, crystal meth, shabu … whatever you call it, these tips will help you remain safe when you use it.

Some people who inject drugs don’t have much trouble finding veins, and don’t need to use a tourniquet, while others have always used them as part of their injecting practice. Other people decide to add tournies to their injecting routine as they get older and their veins get harder to find over time. We thought it was timely to do a bit of a review so people could develop or update skills and techniques in using tournies to get the most out of them. 

Legal and safety issues around drugs and sex work.

ACT’s new pill testing service, called CanTEST Health and Drug Checking Service, has opened, and Users News got the low-down from Chris Gough, who is the Executive Director (ED) of ACT’s Drug User Organisation (DUO), Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation & Advocacy (CAHMA). Chris is one of the peers who has played an important role in getting the service running.

Matthew has a big scar, with an even bigger story. He says it’s the “what not to do” tale that completely changed the way he injects.

Peer expert Oat gets us started on the basics to introduce a UN-exclusive series of resources and articles on pill testing.

The step-by-step guide for people who want to start vaping but don’t know how.

SafeScript is a ‘real-time’ system that allows prescribers and dispensers to access your medication history while you wait. What does this new system mean for you?

We know you’ve been invited to some excellent parties lately!

But do you still remember how to have a good time and stay safe?