answering some ?s about drug-user groups

Following some of my recent posts I have had a lot of interest from people in finding out more about drug user organisations and the drug users' movement, along with the occasional snide or suspicious remark.
So I thought I'd take the time to do a little FAQ.
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• What is a drug user organisation (DUO)?
  DUOs are non-profit, non-government organisations committed to promoting harm reduction through peer-based education initiatives; seek to improve the self-esteem and empowerment of users by creating vehicles for users to express ourselves through, such as publishing our written work and visual art in magazines; and dedicated to bringing about an end to the war on all drugs and drug users. Drug user organisations recognise the absolute democratic right of the individual to do with their body and mind as they will, as long as it does not directly harm another individual. We recognise that there is a big difference between harms that are created intrinsically by the use of a drug, and those harms which are created by needing to use drugs under a system of prohibition. While the operating structures of drug user organisations can vary greatly, current, self-outed drug users must play a central role in their management. Where the group employs educators, policy workers, magazine editors etc, the staff should consist primarily of users.
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• How long have drug user organisations existed for?
  In their present form, DUOs have been around since the mid-to late '80s. In this country, and in Europe, they emerged very much as a response to the potential for HIV to shatter injecting drug use communities. Drug user groups were responsible for many of the first needle-exchange programs in Australia; these were often semi-legal initially. At first, most DUOs were created by heroin users, and safe injecting information and services were central to their philosophies.
  Since the mid-90s users of stimulant drugs, dance drug activists, and non-injecting users started to play a bigger role in the drug users' movement. The national peak-body of drug user groups in this country, AIVL, recently changed its name from the Australian Intravenous League, to the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League. This name is an attempt to both acknowledge our history and the vital role heroin injectors, in particular, have played and continue to play. But we also wanted to acknowledge the increasing role of other users, and to help them feel a (well-deserved) sense of ownership.
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• Why would I want to get involved? And how?
  As mentioned already, stimulant users are playing an increasing role in the drug user movement. Divide-and-rule ideology has been played out to full effect in the drug scene. Users are encouraged to subscribe to a drug hierarchy: "At least I'm not as fucked up as they are", "I'd never use that shit"... Only by achieving unity-in-purpose can drug users hope to overcome the ties that bind us.
  Recent statistics show Hepatitis C exploding into speed and coke injecting networks, and much of the petty police harassment that goes on here in NSW, including the not-so-petty use of dogs, is now centred on nightclub areas and near or at parties.
  User groups can only hope to speak for the communities directly involved in the organisation. If stimulant users would like to see increased attention paid to our issues, stimulant users need to get involved and raise those issues.
  Different groups have different structures, and different ways of involving people. We all welcome people dropping in and expressing interest, and working out how to involve you from there.
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• Where will I find a drug-user organisation?
  Drug-user organisations are now well-established right across the world, from BrugerForingen in Denmark, Beyond Appearances in New Delhi, COUNTERfit in Canada.
  In Australia, DUOs are, by and large, centred in the major population centres, although there is ongoing work to involve regional and rural users (this is a big part of what I do).
  At a national level we have AIVL (www.aivl.org.au) Phone 02 6279 1600. AIVL's membership consists of the state and territory user groups, who send two delegates each to an Annual General Meeting, and the delegates then elect an Executive who employ staff and guide the political direction. AIVL has existed since 1989, but has only received funding for the last few years. They coordinate a national Hepatitis C Education Campaign which provides many of the resources state groups distribute. We also have one staff member working on policy and media issues, and an EO, and they work on a 1/4ly mag called Junkmail.
  The state and territory user groups are:
  Territory Users Forum (www.tuf.org.au) Telephone 08 8941 2308*
  Postal address PO Box 835, Parap NT 0804 Street address 155 Stuart Highway, Parap NT [email protected]
  - TUF has received a couple of small pilot grants from the NT government, and is currently looking to receive ongoing funding to operate a needle exchange.
  Network Against Prohibition (NT) (www.napnt.org) ([email protected])
  - NAP is an activist network dedicated to using direct action to bring about an end to the war on drugs. They hold a monthly "Smoke-Up for Human Rights" and will be hosting an "International Conference on using Direct Action to end the War on Drugs" in September 2003.
  South Australian Voice for IV Education (SAVIVE) phone 08 8362 9299, 64 Fullarton Rd Norwood, [email protected]
  - SAVIVE operate a peer-based needle-exchange, and have a number of community development workers based across the Adelaide suburban area.
  USERS Association SA - phone 08 8354 3414.
  - USERS is an activist body, and attempts to end the drug war by utilising community development strategies, providing an organised voice for users to the media and governmental committees and reviews.
  DUNES (Drug Users' Network for Education & Support - QLD) – 2019 Goldcoast HWY, Miami QLD. Phone 07 5520 7900. [email protected]
  - DUNES operates a peer-based needle-exchange weekdays, as well as running various education programs.
  NUSERS (Tasmania) (Contact AIVL for details)
  – NUSERS has operated for less than a year but is already doing important work for Tasmanian drug users
  VIVAIDS (Victorian Drug Users' Organisation) 275b Smith St, Collingwood. Phone 03 9419 3633. www.youngdrugusers.org.au.
  - VIVAIDS has one of the larger funded operations, including Hepatitis C Education officer, young drug users peer worker, Ravesafe coordinator, Pharmacotherapies Advocacy & Complaints Service, and more. Tune into the VIVAIDS radio show, Drugtalk, weekly on Tuesdays at 11am.
  NSW Users & AIDS Association (NUAA) – [email protected] 45 Bedford St, Newtown. Phone 02 9557 1476, 1800 644 413.
  - NUAA could be considered the "granddaddy" of funded drug user organisations, having run ongoing services for well over a decade. NUAA coordinates Tribes funding, which provides grants to users to carry out harm reduction education projects for their own subcultures, and was responsible for Australia's first Ravesafe initiative. NUAA produces the 1/4ly magazine Users' News and has a team of community development workers who can provide information, advocacy and support.
  West Australian Substance Users Association (WASUA) 440 William St, Northbridge. Phone 9227 7866. [email protected]
  - WASUA was only formed a little over 5 years ago, but it is already one of the most well-established DUOs. WASUA offers NSP, and runs a range of education programs.
  Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation & Advocacy (CAHMA) G33, Griffin Centre, 19 Bunda St, Civic. Phone 02 6262 5299.
  - There is a long history of user organisation in the ACT, with CAHMA being its latest manifestation. Operating an NSP, drop-in service, and broadcasting weekly on community radio.
  There are also quite a number of drug user organisations focusing on particular battles in the drug war – the great testing work done by Enlighten is a prime example of this.
  For an in-depth analysis of the current state of the users' movement pick up the Spring 2002 edition of Junkmail, available within the week at your local user group (or ring AIVL to get on the mailing list), a Spring 2002 edition of Users' News from your local NSP if you are in NSW (or call NUAA to get on the mailing list), or email [email protected] for a copy of the article "Sleeps with the Fishes? How do we smash the concrete shoes off harm reduction?"

[Edit: Awesome list thanks Mibrane... I've added some text formatting. BigTrancer]
[ 20 November 2002: Message edited by: BigTrancer ]

Hi Mibrane...interesting read, you could possibly break it up a bit by putting the headings in bold...it's a lot of info packed together there.
cheers

Thanks for the help with layout, BigT.
Getting Involved: For people in Sydney a funding application for a Techno Tribes peer ed projct, including employment opportunities as peer educators, so people wanting to get involved in that should get in touch with me (Michael) at NUAA asap.
Most groups produce regular madazines, and its a great way to see your written or visual art published and distributed to several thousand people.