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Harm Minimisation/Harm Reduction Organisations

moocho

Bluelighter
Joined
Dec 11, 2000
Messages
1,169
Heya,
Im currently writing an article for an online magazine about ecstasy harm min. I would like to provide the reader with details about how to contact an organisation in their area.
If i could get the details of an org in each state and territory of Australia i would be very grateful. I may possibly want to ask a few questions too, via email. If you could post the name of the org, address, phone number, email etc... that would be great. Any other info you care to provide would help out a lot. I promise to let you know via email if i am going to mention any of the details you provide, in the story.
Thanks guys,
Moocho
[Edit: Slightly altered title. BT]
[ 14 February 2003: Message edited by: BigTrancer ]
 
*bump*
...in the interests of harm minimisation...
 
Throw me an email and I'll handle at least one of Vic's www.enlighten-hr.org
Contact Vivaids in Victoria and ask to speak to Ravesafe for another - actually there should be a thread in this forum with contact details for Michael of Ravesafe.
 
if you want to email enlighten (who do the pill testing/drug education at events) the addy is:
[email protected]
or, have a chat to jb while he's in sydney
smile.gif

if you want to contact vivaids/ravesafe, look for michael's thread, do a search on bluelight for the nickname "mibrane"
=)
[This message has been edited by atomica (edited 10 September 2001).]
 
Your info here is much appreciated guys.
Plus you get some free publicity, and you are helping out the online community. What about the Code Blue boyz? Havent heard from you guys yet...
biggrin.gif

------------------
You can kick the monkey all you want...but what do you do when he wakes up?
 
***********updated info*********

*ahem* sorry im late, thought someone else would have filled this in for me, they usually do in all the other posts.......

CODEBLUE
Harm Reduction Services ACT/NSW
"Because sometimes what you don't know, can harm you"


CodeBlue Harm Reduction Services is a non-profit volunteer organization, formed on the belief that the Canberra dance scene needed a group to provide peer education and easier access to information services and referral centres for dance drugs users. In addition to the provision of basic education and support, we promote the need for and use of chemical reagent testers to detect adulterants in pills, with a vision to provide adulterant screening services to “Ecstasy” and other dance drugs users. Adulterants are active substances other than the substance the user sought to obtain, which can lead to unpleasant and unexpected effects. We neither promote nor condemn the use of drugs.

Many dance drugs users have rejected government and media scare tactics which have been discredited by their own experience of dance drugs, which contrasts fiercely with the mainstream portrayal of drugs as absolutely evil and dangerous. As a consequence, many people in the community who choose to experiment with drugs base their decisions on rumour and uneducated peer information which tends to encourage harm rather than harm minimisation. CodeBlue is working to dispel the myths of “Ecstasy” use and to promote greater understanding of the impacts of use on the mind and body. CodeBlue aims to reach people who have effectively been excluded from mainstream approaches to the drug issue. We believe that a choice to use drugs should be well informed of the risks involved with that decision.

We are successfully distributing information to inform people how to minimize risks to themselves and their friends, which is easy to understand, accurate and free of charge. Our aim is to assist drug users to become more informed and hopefully conscientious users. The information that CodeBlue provides is gathered from many resources, including government and related organisations, non-government, and legitimate scientific research. CodeBlue has been actively distributing this information at the following events: Member’s Party, Club Habana; Passion (Baseage Productions); Unity (Baseage Productions); Little Garema Escape and Escape (Sebtrakt Productions); Stonefest 2002 (University of Canberra Annual Festival); Redmusiq; and Ministry of Sound Bushfire Appeal. At each of these events we have received high levels of support and affirmation from both the dance community and the promoters.

As well as providing information, CodeBlue has been invited to attend various television and radio shows, drug summits, The ACT Drug Strategy community consultation forums, been keynote speakers at ACT Drug Week and have published various articles for service providers.
Code Blue has also developed & ran programs to supplement adolescent drug withdrawal units in and around Canberra and School Based Programs.


Our goal is to increase the ability of our peers to positively influence their own health and safety, by providing the tools and information needed to make informed decisions.


*An adulterant is any active substance sold as a specific drug, other than the specific drug. These substances include PMA, DXM and ketamine. Adulterants can result in an unexpected unpleasant experience, and are responsible for many of the deaths attributed to “ecstasy”.


CODEBLUE Harm Reduction Services ACT/NSW
"because sometimes what you don't know, Can harm you"

www.codeblueharmreduction.com.au
Contact Details:

MicK Haines
Founder /Director
[email protected].

Code Blue HR ACT/NSW
PO Box 605
Erindale Centre
ACT 2903

www.codeblueharmreduction.com.au (under construction)
 
Last edited:
I think this thread should be reused, as a list of our local HM groups, so that people know who to get in touch with if they want information, or want to make a donation of personal time or money.
We definitely need contact information for at least: Enlighten, Code Blue, Ravesafe
Anyone who has 'official' mailing addresses or URL/emails for these that are current, if you could post them here, we'll make a list. Hopefully it could be a good companion list for HM product vendors that we have from the Aus forum.
BigTrancer :)
PS: When we get a good list of information I'll add this thread to the header-space links above our forum main page.
[ 13 February 2003: Message edited by: BigTrancer ]
 
an ex security guard who used to do pill testing at raves in sydney got into a bit of trouble for doing it by police at a party once because "it was his duty to report the person with the drugs to the authorities" (being a security guard and all) and instead he just tested them and then gave them back with a test result.
but he doesnt do that anymore.
 
Michael of Ravesafe (ie me) is Michael of Ravesafe no longer, I'm now in Sydney.
Ravesafe (Melbourne) can be reached through VIVAIDS 03 9419 3633/ visit 275b Smith ST, Collingwood, email [email protected].
Sydney people interested in raver harm reduction should contact me at NUAA (NSW Users' & AIDS Association), which is the organisation which funded the two Sydney ravesafe projects ('93 & '96). Phone: 02 9557 1476, [email protected]
There is a funding application currently pending for a Tekno Tribes project, which would include at-party harm reduction similar to what i did with ravesafe (Melb), as well as some other information initiatives.
Those interested in national dance drug policy issues should contact Nicky Bath, one of the founding members of the UK Dance Drug Alliance, who now works at the national peak-body for drug users, the Australian Injecting & illicit Drug Users' League (AIVL). [email protected] or phone 02 6279 1600.
oh, and not to be picky, but we are very definitely harm REDUCTION, check archives for a fairly lengthy post on the difference in the terms if you'd like.
[ 14 February 2003: Message edited by: mibrane ]
 
I've never even thought to check the distinction, however it's an important point, and since its finally dawned on me to look it up, I might as well post it here.
What is the difference between Harm Reduction and Harm Minimisation?
Harm reduction is one component of harm minimisation, the other two are supply reduction and demand reduction.
Harm Minimisation
According to Australia's National Drug Strategic Framework, "Harm minimisation refers to policies and programs designed to reduce drug-related harm. Harm minimisation aims to improve health, social and economic outcomes for both the community and the individual and encompasses a wide range of approaches".
Harm minimisation is the basis upon which Australia's National Drug Strategy has been designed, and describes policies or programs that have been designed to reduce actual, or prevent anticipated drug-related harms. It is a comprehensive approach involving supply reduction, demand reduction, and problem prevention resulting from the use of alcohol and other drugs.
...
Harm Reduction
Harm reduction strategies are designed to prevent or limit specific harms arising from the use of drugs. These strategies involve encouraging people to modify their patterns of drug use (eg sharing needles, smoking in public places, drink driving), and are specifically targeted (injecting drug users, smokers, motorists).
The aim of a harm reduction approach is to avoid exacerbating harm caused by misuse of drugs. In contrast, harm minimisation fits more comfortably with non-drug use as a goal since it is consistent with reducing problems to their smallest or lowest possible level. As such, abstinence is a goal of harm minimisation since this is the lowest possible level of use.
From: http://www.nceta.flinders.edu.au/faqs.htm <-- includes references
BigTrancer :)
[ 16 February 2003: Message edited by: BigTrancer ]
 
HARDUP is also back in business, after some shaky times.
HARDUP is a user based peer education project, based in Brisbane. We conduct fortnightly outreachs in the Fortitude Valley area, as well as other venues, such as doofs, universities, music festivals etc. We also have regular fortnightly training on a range of drug and alcohol issues, as well as monthly HARDUP specific training.
We have a range of projects currently in the planning phase, and would love to have some BL volunteers :)
Our contact details are as follows:
We are based at QuIVAA in the Valley.
185-191 Brunswick St
Fortitude Valley (across from the Arena)
4006
(07) 3252 5390
[email protected]
QuIVAA Homepage
Please contact us if you'd like to volunteer :)
 
Just to add a little to our look at the terms harm min and harm reduction.
This is from an article of mine, run in Green Left Weekly and in Whack, circa 2001.
For the full article visit
http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2001/455/455p11.htm
"The federal government’s National Drug Strategy enshrines a policy of “harm minimisation”. Harm minimisation contains three pillars:
l<~>Demand reduction — education aimed at stopping people from using drugs; as well as counselling or job-creation that may reduce the impetus for some people to use drugs.
l<~>Harm reduction — programs that seek to reduce direct harm to users, e.g., needle syringe provision and disposal services, methadone programs, etc.
l<~>Supply reduction — programs that boost police and customs resources and seek to stop the flow of drugs into the country or a particular suburb.
Most government resources are allocated to supply reduction. But supply reduction measures often negate harm reduction work. With less of the drug available, users often substitute another drug, causing damage to their health. As the price is driven up, petty property crime increases as users look for a way to obtain the money needed to purchase the amount of the drug that their body has become accustomed to.
This is what has happened in Australia during the last seven months, as the supply of heroin has dried up, partly as a result of police measures."
That is, harm minimisation as embodied by the National Drugs Strategy creates at least as much, or more, harm than it reduces.
 
I am currently responsible for implementing the RaveSafe project in Victoria. My contact details are:

Natalie Russell
VIVAIDS
PO BOX 2435
FITZROY 3065
(03) 9419 3633
[email protected]

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like any more information.

:)
 
Just to bring this to the top in case its out of date or anyone knows of anything that could be added.
 
*BUMP* The Enlighten URLs above won't work unless you want to buy light bulbs, which isn't exactly harm reduction, but they do sell energy saving bulbs! ;)


WWW.ENLIGHTEN.ORG.AU the new link as most people would know.

WWW.PILLREPORTS.COM everyone knows this but just incase you didn't.

** Also a bump for p_d to say the enlighten link on Ravesafe QLD is outdated, if you don't know HTML I can fix it for you. (Just saying as it looks like it's been designed by a web design company)
 
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