It started as a BBQ at a Melbourne needle exchange in 2001. Twenty-five years later, International Overdose Awareness Day is marked in 40+ countries and over 1000 events worldwide, because Australia is still losing seven people a day to overdose. This edition of User’s News looks at the day's history, how communities across NSW are marking the 31st of August this year, and the everyday actions that keep the message alive long after the purple lights go out.

People have chased strength, speed, and certain looks for close to three thousand years. Long before steroids, Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs), or peptides existed, athletes were eating animal organs, drinking mystery potions, and even consuming poison in the name of performance.

This edition of Users News outlines the long and sometimes bizarre history of Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs (PIEDs), and how that's influenced the landscape today. 

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon, community members, peer workers, health professionals, and NUAA staff visited Lawrence Hargave Reserve in Sydney, to mark this year's International Drug Users Day of Remembrance (IDURD).  

Attendees heard from speakers including Phil Read of South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Erica Franklin of Harm Reduction Australia, Jo Catling of St Vincent's Health Australia, and NUAA’s own Tony McNaughton.

In this feature we remember IDURD’s history, the speeches from the day, and reflections from the NUAA staff who helped bring it all together.

If you're on Sublocade, you may have already heard the news, and if you haven't, it's important that you do. The pharmaceutical company Indivior has decided to stop supplying Sublocade in Australia.  

This change is going to affect people across Australia who rely on Sublocade to manage opioid dependence, including many of readers of User’s News. 

We know this news might be worrying, especially if Sublocade has been working for you. This article will explain what's happening, what your options are, and who you can talk to. 

The bold, tattoo-style illustrations behind Australia's Support Don't Punish campaign aren’t created by a design agency, they’re hand drawn by Emily Ebdon, a Tasmanian peer worker and artist with two decades of frontline harm reduction experience.

In this spotlight, Emily talks about feeling creatively constrained in faith-based organisations, finding her voice in the drug user movement, and the process of turning real submissions from people who use drugs across Australia into vibrant artworks.

Nermalee is a casual staff member with DanceWize NSW, and a passionate volunteer across four community organisations. In this Users News feature, she shares how she got started, why volunteering matters, and practical advice for anyone looking to get involved and give back.

In 25 years of operation, MSIC has seen over 18,000 clients walk through the door, supervised over 1.35 million injections, and managed over 12,000 overdoses. Not one person has died on its premises. 

The mammoth figures and 25-year tenure are no easy feat. The story of how MSIC got here, through political battles, community resistance, tabloid fearmongering, and sheer determination, is one worth telling again, especially as we look ahead to what comes next. 

Your body goes through a lot when you overdose, especially if you're unconscious for any amount of time. Some of these lesser-known effects don't show up for hours or even days. Understanding these uncommon overdose risks means you can look after yourself and the people around you. Here’s what you need to know.

A NUAA staff member shares their personal journey through abstinence-based recovery, lateral violence, and the transformative discovery of harm reduction, and what it means to truly support people who use drugs.