What do you think about drug alerts?

[Tronica]

Hi everyone

Over the last couple of years, in Australia, we have had a lot more drug alerts. They've been coming from government health departments in NSW, Victoria and Qld, and more recently from the ACT via Canberra's Cantest fixed site drug checking service (which has now been operating for almost one year and has tested over 1000 drug samples).

I'm part of a research group that has just launched an online survey to canvas the views of Australians who use drugs on these alerts. You can get more info on that study and participate in it here - https://bluelight.org/xf/threads/he...g-drug-alerts-in-australia-idaa-study.933222/

But I thought it would also be good to open up a conversation about these alerts right here... I know we often have threads in this subforum when the alerts happen, e.g. the current poppy seed alert thread being one example.

I'm sure you all have opinions on these alerts - whether they are useful, whether they contain the right kind of information, etc.

 

[west.heidelberg]

Hi everyone

Over the last couple of years, in Australia, we have had a lot more drug alerts. They've been coming from government health departments in NSW, Victoria and Qld, and more recently from the ACT via Canberra's Cantest fixed site drug checking service (which has now been operating for almost one year and has tested over 1000 drug samples).

I'm part of a research group that has just launched an online survey to canvas the views of Australians who use drugs on these alerts. You can get more info on that study and participate in it here - https://bluelight.org/xf/threads/he...g-drug-alerts-in-australia-idaa-study.933222/

But I thought it would also be good to open up a conversation about these alerts right here... I know we often have threads in this subforum when the alerts happen, e.g. the current poppy seed alert thread being one example.

I'm sure you all have opinions on these alerts - whether they are useful, whether they contain the right kind of information, etc.

I think they’re definitely useful, and the more specific the better.

I haven’t been a pillhead for a long long time but as far as I’m aware the only Ecstasy deaths in this country apart from that girl in the 90s have been from stuff like PMMA etc so as soon as that contaminant or others are picked up it should be disseminated.

I remember when they’d send out unofficial alerts previously about ‘bad batches’ there would be no info so some people would take that to mean high dose.

I don’t really think there needs to be an alert for high dose MD Euro presses as they are really aren’t going to do any damage other than ruin your night, but if they’re going to do it which I assume they will, again be specific, say it’s high dose, be careful, whereas in the other case it should be ‘avoid, don’t touch under any circumstances’ so as to avoid any confusion.

As a (currently clean) but long time prolific opiate user who has used PST when caught short that kind of info needs to be spread far and wide in case it can save just one life.

Similarly if a big seizure of H is found to have fent or carfent in it, I think an alert would be good, even if it’s localised, say a spate of toxicology reports in an area find it, so people might be a bit careful when whacking up their first hit after picking up a batch.

 

[andyturbo]

Hi everyone

Over the last couple of years, in Australia, we have had a lot more drug alerts. They've been coming from government health departments in NSW, Victoria and Qld, and more recently from the ACT via Canberra's Cantest fixed site drug checking service (which has now been operating for almost one year and has tested over 1000 drug samples).

I'm part of a research group that has just launched an online survey to canvas the views of Australians who use drugs on these alerts. You can get more info on that study and participate in it here - https://bluelight.org/xf/threads/he...g-drug-alerts-in-australia-idaa-study.933222/

But I thought it would also be good to open up a conversation about these alerts right here... I know we often have threads in this subforum when the alerts happen, e.g. the current poppy seed alert thread being one example.

I'm sure you all have opinions on these alerts - whether they are useful, whether they contain the right kind of information, etc.

I absolutely love and support the idea 100%. I will be filling out that survey this afternoon. Thanks Tronica.