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.

An update on the NSW Drug Summit and how you can contribute.

Drug harm reduction advocates claim the NSW government is ignoring an unfolding drug crisis. What does this all mean?

Prison and health experts including NUAA have raised concerns over the safety of Australian inmates following a rise in local detections of nitazenes, an extremely strong lab-made opioid.

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.

On 26 September, more than 60 people around the country attended an online event that launched the foundational declaration of Tasmanians with Substance, a collective of people with lived and living experience of using alcohol and other drugs in lutruwita/Tasmania.

How do NSW Parties score on important drug policy reform in NSW? The NSW Users and Aids Association asked registered parties for the upcoming NSW Election a series of questions to understand how their party scores on important issues in NSW Drug Policy Reform. See the scorecard to find out.

Celia is gently spoken and carries herself with a natural dignity and beauty. She has a lifetime of advocating for others, working in her community to improve conditions and documenting life as an urban Aboriginal. Intelligent, opinionated and creative, she is clearly a natural leader, although her modesty does not allow her to think in those terms. Celia was born and raised on the Block in a loving family, and although she has lived elsewhere from time to time — including giving her children a connection to the bush — she always returns to her community in the Redfern/Waterloo area.

3 ways we can reduce instances of sexual based harm, facilitate safe spaces for women at music festivals, and develop a community we are all proud of.

At NUAA’s recent Peers and Consumers Forum, NUAA’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer Charles Henderson gave the keynote address: Driving innovation: the role of NUAA in drug user health in NSW. This is a taste of his awesome presentation.

Keenan Mundine, an Aboriginal man in his thirties, is a co-founder of Deadly Connections, a service supporting Aboriginal people. Keenan was 14 when he first went into juvenile detention and did many years of jail after that. Keenan believed that this life was just normal. But then he began to question the information that was passed onto him. Today, he is a family man who uses his experiences to walk with people from his community towards the lives they want.

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.

Post-election Interview with Bernie Bradley, Queensland Legalise Cannabis Party

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

Guest editorial by Mary Ellen Harrod, NUAA CEO

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.

“Peer Worker” is an emerging role in the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) space in NSW. Not only has research shown how valuable peer education and support is, services using peer workers see the difference every day as more consumers come through their doors to have more respectful and relevant interactions.

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.

Three exceptional Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) from Drug User Organisations (DUOs) around Australia give us their take on peer leadership.

“New drugs, old drugs — it’s still rock & roll” ♥ There are more things that bind us than separate us