NUAA Admin 18/6/25 NUAA Admin 18/6/25

Changing Dutch research chemical regulations and what they could mean for you

On July 1, laws regarding research chemicals or “legal highs” are changing in the Netherlands. The implications of this will be further reaching that just Europe, with ripples likely to be felt on our shores. What does this mean for us here in Australia? And what can we do to combat and keep safe from the effects of these changes?

NUAA Admin 20/12/24 NUAA Admin 20/12/24

NSW Premier announces festival testing trial after drug summit

The long-awaited NSW Drug Summit has finally taken place, and NUAA (the organisation that publishes Users News) worked hard to make sure that voices of people with lived and living experience of illicit drug use were represented. While we won’t see the government’s final recommendations until early 2025, on December 19 NSW Premier Chris Minns announced a welcome step in the right direction — drug sample testing at festivals.

NUAA Admin 29/2/24 NUAA Admin 29/2/24

Drug Law Reform Update: the NSW Two-Strike Scheme

The Early Drug Diversion Initiative (EDDI) came into effect in NSW on 29th February 2024. Under the new scheme, if you are caught by police with a “small amount” of a single illicit drug, you could now receive a $400 fine instead of a charge and court summons. However, there are some serious limitations in this reform so it’s worth reading the small print.

NUAA Admin 30/6/23 NUAA Admin 30/6/23

Magic mushrooms for meth?

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.

NUAA Admin 11/4/23 NUAA Admin 11/4/23

What’s Happening with Medicinal Cannabis?

Dr Karen Hitchcock is one of Australia’s first authorised prescribers of medicinal cannabis and a supporter of its benefits. She recently spoke at the “Garden States” conference, run by Entheogenesis Australis (EGA), where she outlined how the medicinal cannabis world has changed over the last 4 years. She busted some old myths like “If you don’t have multiple sclerosis (MS) or epilepsy, you can't get prescribed cannabis”, “Only a few doctors in Australia can prescribe”, “There’s only a couple of cannabis oils that can be prescribed.” The following is based on her informative and insightful responses at a Q&A at the conference.

NUAA Admin 24/12/22 NUAA Admin 24/12/22

What are the penalties for possessing different weights of drugs in NSW?

Our handy new table lists the penalties you could get in NSW for possessing different quantities of the most common drugs.

NUAA Admin 22/7/22 NUAA Admin 22/7/22

A peer’s guide to the ACT pill testing service – By one of its creators, Chris Gough, Executive Director of CAHMA

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.

NUAA Admin 22/7/22 NUAA Admin 22/7/22

What happens when police stop you on the street and you start shaking? | Shane’s Story

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.

NUAA Admin 23/6/22 NUAA Admin 23/6/22

Diversionary Tactics: A short history of halfway measures on drug law reform in Victoria

What’s going on with the battle for the decriminalisation of drugs in Victoria, Australia? Harm Reduction Victoria’s CEO, Sione Crawford gives us the lowdown.