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.

A few weeks ago, NSW Health and NUAA issued a drug alert around a high-dose MDMA pill containing a synthetic cathinone. But cathinones are not just appearing as adulterants. People are beginning to see them as desirable drugs in their own right.

Users News is here to give you some tips on how to use this emerging group of drugs safely.

The NSP (needle exchange) at 345 Crown St, Surry Hills is run by NUAA, the organisation that publishes Users News. There are some minor changes happening at the NSP.

This article is part 1 in a multi-part series exploring the question of safety for women participating in both psychedelic-assisted therapy and underground psychedelic journeys and reports of ethical violations.

Content warning: This article discusses the topic of sexual assault, rape and non-consensual drug use.

Ketamine use is at an all time high in Australia but unfortunately not everyone is being sold the real thing. In early November NSW Health released a drug alert about MDMA tablets spiked with a ketamine analogue known as 2F-NENDCK. Ketamine analogues mimic ketamine’s chemical makeup but they can produce different effects including stronger detachment from reality or hallucinations.

Steroid use is surging in Australia, and it’s no longer confined to any one particular social group. For those looking into the drugs or just starting out though, it’s hard to know where to source your knowledge and clean equipment. On your behalf, Users News has sifted through the online minefield and chatted to people working in harm reduction. Here’s what we learned.

Amid the rolling waves of psy trance dugga-dugga-dugga at Dragon Dreaming Festival, an anonymous community member roamed the crowd, testing people’s drugs under the radar. Undertaken with home reagent testing kits, it wasn’t a legal venture. Users News spoke to this harm reduction crusader about why they chose to test punters’ drugs and what they discovered

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

Another year, another PaC Forum. Users News brings you a wrap up of the 2024 edition.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) help a heck of a lot of people. But these group sessions may not be for everyone. New peer support groups, which don’t rely on the AA/NA approach, are beginning to emerge in Australia for people who choose to use drugs. What are they? And who can they help? Users News dives into the alternatives available to you.

Users News dives into the issue of drugs and consent.

Wondering what the fuck the deal is with workplace drug testing? Users News to the rescue with some advice!

Users News explores the appeal and health risks of illegal tattooing.

Encrypted messaging apps like Telegram promise a lot when it comes to secrecy, so they're popular for buying and selling drugs. But how do they really stack up?

Users News provides an update on how NUAA is helping to eliminate hepatitis C in Australia.

Trippy edibles are rising in popularity. Users News gives the lowdown on legal and illegal plant-based highs and the dangers of sourcing these treats from online sellers.

Users News publishes something different: a poem from a NUAA community member.

Users News investigates police responses to mental health emergencies and the possibilities and realities of alternative first responders. This is a deep dive into the options available to you in a time of severe mental distress and why police may not always be the best people for this job.

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

August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), the world’s largest annual campaign to end accidental overdose.  This year’s theme is ‘Together We Can’.  Against this sentiment of hope and togetherness, the title for ACON’s IAOD event ‘Stories from the Underworld’ seems rather mysterious.