People whose drug preferences are for stimulants and party drugs may not see the need to know about opioid harm reduction, or carry Naloxone, which can reverse opioid overdoses. However, with highly potent opioids such as nitazenes, are being used to cut cocaine, meth and MDMA, it’s important to be aware of the risk of taking opioids unknowingly, and what to do about it.

Opioids (heroin and synthetic opioids) have recently been detected in drugs sold as crystal meth in NSW. This unexpected mix is a reminder of how important it is to always practice harm reduction. We pulled this guide together to address the harms of getting unexpected opioids in your meth.

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.

There is an ongoing clinical trial of giving psilocybin (the active ingredient in ‘magic mushrooms’) to help people who are living with a methamphetamine (‘meth’ or ‘ice’) use disorder. Maureen Steele is a Peer Worker who helped design the trial to ensure it gives users what they need to succeed.

Pat is a gay Aboriginal man with bipolar. He shares what it’s like to get caught with drugs and then be noticed by police for the rest of his life.

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.

Most of society doesn’t realise this stuff happens. Shane is a peer worker who lives and breathes NUAA’s mission to advance the health, rights and dignity of people who use drugs. Unfortunately, Shane is regularly stopped by police and his healthy fear of police means he can barely breathe around them — which makes him look even more suspicious.

Annie Madden is a global drug user activist with living experience of injecting & illicit drug use, hep C and opioid treatment.

Annie Madden is a global drug user activist with living experience of injecting & illicit drug use, hep C and opioid treatment.

How to deal with dodgy pills of the benzo kind

So what happens when you find yourself dealing super strong gear?