On May 10, the Commonwealth Government announced additional funding for, and changes to, the Opioid Dependence Treatment Program (ODTP). Read about them here.

I first sought out an ADHD diagnosis when I was 23, and the psychiatrist told me, “No, actually you just have the learning capacity of a 16-year-old due to your drug addiction.” Yikes. It took me a couple of years to wrestle with that message – to make sure I rejected it on a deep level – before I tried again with another doctor. And boom, I was right: my ADHD scored off the charts. No wonder amphetamines help my brain feel regulated.

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.

There is not a one-size-fits-all when it comes to Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP). Which OTP medication is most beneficial will be different for different people. One of the newer OTP medications is Long Acting Injectable Buprenorphine (LAIB), also called “depot bupe”. Two brands — Buvidal and Sublocade — were approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration in April 2020.

Kiaran told Users News about how depot bupe has benefitted him but might not be best OTP medication for everyone.

Alex has been dependent on opioids for 20 years. When conventional treatments did not help him reach his goal of abstinence, he looked to ibogaine treatment. UN interviewed him the week before and 2 weeks after the 7-day guided treatment. Alex’s model of treatment isn’t about not using drugs, it’s about freeing himself from habits that don’t serve him.

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.  

Peer Worker Maureen Steele has been an active and influential peer worker for some 30 years. She has been inducted in the NUAA Hall of Fame for her tireless and outstanding commitment to our community.

Sam’s story. Drugs and growing up Vietnamese-Australian in Western Sydney.

Tips for keeping your meds safe from kids

Chad has written this opinion piece, reflecting on the shifting sands around accessing prescription opioids based on his own use of pain medications

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

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

“Gender had always felt like play for me, and using meth felt like my way to indulge in the drama of the performance. I got off on how binary my expressions were – in a way it was kind of like drag.”

“My gender was linked to the type of sex I was having. And the type of sex I was having always closely related to the types of drugs I was using.  When I started shooting opioids, it wasn’t long before needles became a central part of my sex life…”

Here is some info about OTP was well as advice from peers.

We caught up with PAMS co-ordinator Sarah Lord to get the benefit of her years of experience in helping Victorians on OTP.

‘Some people will need higher than usual doses of methadone or buprenorphine for it to work properly for them. This might be because they have a high tolerance or an unusually fast metabolism…. I’m simply happy to be on the program and not be a human pin cushion anymore.’

‘All opioids have a range of effects. Some are desirable and some aren’t.’

Be honest with yourself – are you ready?