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.

There’s a lot of reasons people decide to quit using cannabis. You might be smoking up every day, spending more time or money on it than you want to, or be worried about the very real health harms that can come with chronic cannabis use. Cannabis harm reduction is one way to make sure you’re not doing yourself a disservice – it might include cutting down the amount you’re using, seeking treatment, or making use of some savvy tips that will help you keep it together and stay healthy when smoking (especially for daily smokers).

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.

Steroids can take the form of tablets, capsules, oral liquids and injectable liquids. Common slang terms for steroids include ‘roids’, ‘gear’ and ‘juice’. Steroids are synthetic substances that promote the growth of skeletal muscle.

Legal and safety issues around drugs and sex work.

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

What is leadership and how can we — people who use or have used drugs — exercise it?

Guest editorial by Mary Ellen Harrod, NUAA CEO

This can be a deceptive drug. There’s a fine line between a fun time and an overdose. Here are some tips to stay as safe as you can.

How to deal with dodgy pills of the benzo kind

Rob is an opioid user who shares his experience and harm reduction advice regarding using the synthetic drug that is up to 100 times stronger than morphine

What is an acidifier? And why add it to your mix?

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

Taking too many stimulants like ice, ecstasy, speed and coke can result in an overdose that can affect your body or your mind – and sometimes both

We know how hard it is to see a friend having a rough time. So here are some top tips from peer experience that might help you to support and guide someone through this experience

Some basics about GHB aka ‘Liquid Ecstasy’

People use drugs for many reasons. These are 3 stories about ketamine — along with some tips for reducing the harms for people who choose to go the K way

Article, and original research, by Dale

Peers share their experiences vaping cannabis

UN interviews Dr Liam Engel, Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University about the finer points of new wave cannabis use. The more you know, the better you can manage the risks.

Bridie and Pandora are two older women who share some of their changes — the things they have learnt — from the practical to the philosophical