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.

Katrina is a peer distributor for NUAA in a small rural town in NSW. She’s known she’s had hep C for 6 years but has found it hard to get treated because of the lack of services in her area and past experiences of stigma within a health care setting.

Matthew has a big scar, with an even bigger story. He says it’s the “what not to do” tale that completely changed the way he injects.

Drug and Alcohol Multicultural Education Centre (DAMEC) held focus groups to give a voice to people living in Western Sydney, who are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and who use drugs, around their experience of incarceration.

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

“I was so run down all the time, drugs were the only way to give me energy and improve my mood”

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

The step-by-step guide for people who want to start vaping but don’t know how.

Siobhan was stunned into silence by her patronising doctor. While that time she made a strategic decision not to confront him, now she demands health workers show her the respect that she deserves.

Wayne was finding stigma a barrier to even getting health complaints diagnosed, let alone treated. That's why, finding a professional, non-stigmatising doctor was like “a breath of fresh air”.

Molly talks about how some health workers made her unwilling to be open about recreational drug use. And the slightly unorthodox way some ER workers put her at ease.

Dr Lachlan McPhail, psychiatrist with the Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, has expertise in helping people who want to reduce or stop their drug use to manage cravings and triggers. Here’s his top tips.

Gail Gray is a proud First Nation Wiradjuri Woman who grew up on Gadigal land in Sydney. Gail spent over 15 years in and out of NSW jails. She has now spent 15 years using her lived experience to help women in the justice system. Gail talked to NUAA about how her choices led her to the Community Restorative Centre (CRC) as a caseworker with the Miranda Project.

Parenting is tricky. Scott is a dad who uses drugs. He tells us about the ups and downs of fatherhood, including his experience giving harm reduction advice to his son.

People from overseas may face particular challenges seeking health care such as hepatitis C assessment, treatment and care.

For Aboriginal people in Australia, police harassment is a daily fact of life. For Aboriginal people who use drugs, this is doubly so.

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.