Peer Based Harm Reduction WA

19/12/2025

If you’re looking for a sign during the festive season, this is it… Carry naloxone! 🌟

No matter what type of drugs you think you are getting, pick up some free naloxone at PBHR WA and learn how to recognise and respond to opioid overdose in as little as 10 minutes. Whether you are someone who might witness or someone who might experience an opioid overdose, carrying naloxone and knowing how to use it could save someone’s life.

To access naloxone at PBHR WA, just walk in to our Perth or Bunbury sites any time we are open and say you want naloxone. Our friendly team will offer you naloxone, along with a naloxone brief education session tailored to your existing level of knowledge.

If you can’t come to us, we can come to you. Our Outreach service can bring PBHR WA’s needle and syringe exchange program – and take-home-naloxone - to your door anywhere in the Perth Metro Area or the South West Region. We require a minimum of 3 days’ notice to schedule a delivery, so remember to plan ahead. In Perth text 0418 946 706 with your contact number, first name or nickname, and the suburb or town you are in. If you are in the South West Region, text 0418 739 372.

PBHR WA also operates the only Statewide Postal Naloxone Service in Western Australia. Just call the naloxone phone on 0478 220 428. Say you want naloxone and leave a first name and contact number. We’ll provide you with a naloxone brief education session over the phone and then send you free take-home-naloxone, with free standard postage, anywhere in Western Australia.

16/12/2025

If you are using stimulants (like m**h or M**A) this holiday season, one of the biggest risks is overheating and dehydration. Stimulants increase your metabolism and body temperature, especially when you’re active.

Over the last couple of weeks, there has been an unusual number of people admitted to emergency departments due to hyperthermia associated with stimulant use.

What can you do to reduce harm?

1 - Start low, go slow! Start with a small dose and wait an hour before redosing to find out how strong your gear is.

2 - Sip water regularly. Aim for about 250mL per hour if you’re not moving around a lot. If you’re doing som**hing active, aim for a maximum of 500mL per hour - that’s around 2 glasses.

3 - Have an electrolyte drink to help replace the salt and minerals you sweat out.

4 - Take cooling breaks. Step out of the crowd or the heat and into a cooler area frequently.

It’s important to avoid trying to overcompensate by drinking large amounts of water all at once. This can lead to a dangerous condition called hyponatremia where excess water in your body can dilute the sodium levels in your blood. This can cause the cells in your brain and body to swell, which can cause you serious harm. Remember, you’re aiming for a balance. Sip, don’t chug, regularly throughout your experience.

If you or a friend feel confused, have a severe headache, nausea, or are experiencing seizures, seek medical attention immediately by calling 000 (triple zero).

If you’re interested in more information about m**h or M**A, you can check out these helpful online resources from our comrades at Hi-Ground and WAAC:

M**A:

https://hi-ground.org/substances/mdma/

M**h:

https://www.waac.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/M**h-Harm-Reduction.pdf

15/12/2025

09/12/2025

Today is Human Rights Day, marking the conclusion of the 16 Days of Action for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Gender Diverse People.

Current drug laws contribute to violence. They establish environments that allow for unchecked interpersonal, structural, and state abuse. This violation of rights doesn't stop with women and gender-diverse people who use drugs; it impacts all people who use drugs.

The rights to health, safety, autonomy, and family are fundamental human rights, and each are compromised by punitive policies. These dynamics deny dignity to all people who use drugs and criminalisation disproportionately impacts First Nations communities and disadvantaged people through over-policing and incarceration.

PBHR WA stands by the principle: No one is free until all of us are safe.

The fight for human rights is the fight for harm reduction. Our collective safety demands policy change. The freedom of vulnerable communities from violence is connected to the freedom of all people from harmful laws. We must pursue reforms that remove threats, protect families, and build opportunities.

It is our human right to stop this cycle of violence and build a world where everyone can live with autonomy and safety.

05/12/2025

It’s Thank a Volunteer Day!

It’s often said that volunteers are the backbone of community service, and for PBHR WA, this is certainly true. Every hour they give translates directly into care for our community.

While developing their skills in peer work and contributing so much fun to our team, our NSEP Volunteers help with the day-to-day tasks that have helped to make PBHR WA the busiest NSEP in Western Australia. Our Volunteer Peer Educators undertake training and use their knowledge and experience to take harm reduction to people in their networks who may not otherwise be accessing any service at all. Thank you for joining forces with the rest of our team to be a force for good in the world.

We would like to take this opportunity to show our appreciation and support for the valuable contribution that volunteers make to our team, our services, and our community.

We are stronger together.

01/12/2025

World AIDS Day raises awareness of HIV and AIDS in our community and across the world. It reminds us that HIV is still a global epidemic.

In Australia there were an estimated 30,890 people living with HIV in 2024. Worldwide, there were 40.8 million people living with the virus. More than 44.1 million people have died of AIDS-related illnesses around the world since the start of the epidemic.

World AIDS Day is a way to honour them.

Today in Australia:

- People living with HIV can get medication that allows them to live a healthy, long life.

- People living with HIV who take antiretroviral treatment can suppress their viral load and have no risk of transmitting HIV to a s*xual partner.

- People can take preventive medication that removes the risk of getting HIV through s*xual activity.

- People can quickly access medication that prevents HIV infection if exposed to the virus.

- We have safer-s*x initiatives and programs to reduce the risk of harm from injecting drugs.

But not everyone knows this. World AIDS Day is a way to increase awareness and make our collective future better. It serves as a reminder that, while progress has been made, there is still work to be done in Australia to achieve an HIV-free generation.

30/11/2025

In December, the Noongar Season ‘Birak’ begins. Birak is represented by the colour red, symbolising a time of sun, hot weather, and fire.

During Birak the rains ease and the summer weather patterns really start to take hold. This time of year can get very hot on Noongar country, but the afternoons are usually cooled by sea breezes from the south-west.

Traditionally, this time of year was fire season. An almost clockwork pattern of hot, dry easterly winds in the morning and cooler sea breezes in the afternoon meant that this was the burning time. Cultural Burning (or “fire-stick farming”) is the traditional m**hod of looking after country by setting deliberate controlled burns. Noongar people would carefully light fires across the land, leaving mosaic patterns of burnt ground and regrowth that increased the complexity and diversity of the environment. This practice served several functions, including reducing the fuel load to prevent dangerous wildfires, stimulating increased growth of food plants and grazing pastures for animals, aiding seed germination, and making it easier for people to move around across the country.

Many fledgling birds begin venturing out of their nests in Birak, though some still stay close to their parents, such as Koolbardi (magpies) and the many different kinds of parrots. At this time of year snakes and other reptiles shed their old skin for a new one. With rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall, it's also the time when baby Kooboolong (frogs) complete their transformation into adulthood.

25/11/2025

The 16 Days of Action for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Gender Diverse People begins today but, from a harm reduction perspective, this important event often only tells half the story. A world where all women are safe and free to live with autonomy over their own bodies and their own lives, regardless of their circumstances, shouldn’t seem like a fairytale.

Drug prohibition is a driver of violence against women because it creates conditions which allow both state and interpersonal and structural violence to flourish without accountability. Punitive legal consequences have become a powerful tool for coercive control by abusive partners who can use the threat of reporting to enforce silence, to prevent women from leaving, and to undermine women’s credibility in custody disputes.

Child protection systems can cause harm if parental drug use is assumed to = poor parenting. These systems can and have been weaponised to control women. Mothers who use drugs face intense, intersectional stigma, leading to an ever-present risk of losing their children. This can stop them from accessing drug treatment, health, and mental health services, and from seeking domestic violence support if/when they think they need to, often trapping them in coercive and abusive relationships or violent situations. In addition to this, many support services require abstinence, putting them out of the reach of women who are actively using or experiencing dependence.

Punitive policies disempower women, and they disproportionately impact the most vulnerable people in our community. The very real fear of these social and legal consequences means that far too many women are forced to endure the violence they experience in isolation – and their risk of experiencing preventable harm, escalating violence, and mental health decline increases.

First Nations people are disproportionately affected by prohibition-driven violence. Over-policing, prejudicial attitudes, and high rates of incarceration lead to the removal of children and the ongoing perpetuation of intergenerational trauma.

Imagine…
If we removed the threat of arrest, conviction, and incarceration, we would also remove a “weapon” used by abusers and other bad actors. If drug use alone was no longer grounds for removing a child or restricting custody, child protection agencies could focus on preventing actual harm and on providing non-judgmental support to those parents who need it. If we expunged past criminal convictions for personal drug offenses, women would have better access to things like employment opportunities, housing, and other services when they need them, helping to build their autonomy. And if we explored regulated supply models for currently illicit drugs, we could undermine the black markets that exploit us all...

It shouldn’t seem like a fairytale to want to stop the violence.

20/11/2025

“We Are Here” is the theme of PrideFEST 2025, celebrating the visibility, resilience, and unity of the LGBTIQA+ community. Inspired by historic activism, it emphasises that q***r people have always existed and will continue to take up space unapologetically. The theme connects Western Australia to global struggles and recognises both past and present fights for equality.

Beyond history, the theme highlights the geographic and cultural diversity of LGBTIQA+ people across WA. It also carries a message of solidarity, reminding those facing isolation that they are supported, while calling on allies and institutions to actively uplift and protect q***r individuals.

Whatever your plans for PrideFEST may be, plan ahead and drop in to PBHR WA to pick up any safer injecting equipment, safe s*x supplies, or naloxone that you may need during the celebrations.

You can find out more about PrideFEST 2025 activities here:

https://www.pridewa.com.au/pridefest-2025/

Be well and stay safe, everyone! 💙💚💛🧡❤️💜

13/11/2025

There are only 3 days left to take advantage of the free filtering products available during our PARTICLE PALOOZA! filtering festival. In our previous post, we talked about the bacterial filtering properties of blue wheel filters.

Sterifilt PLUS works in a similar way to a regular Sterifilt but has the filtering power of a blue wheel filter. Sterifilt PLUS will filter out most common bacteria, fungi, and particles bigger than 0.2 microns in one quick, easy step. It is compatible for use with BD 1ml and 0.5ml syringes, and all slip-tip barrel sizes.

If you haven’t tried Sterifilt PLUS, drop in to PBHR WA before the 16th of November to see what all the fuss is about. Thank you to Apothicom for supporting PARTICLE PALOOZA!

11/11/2025

If you're at APSAD 2025 in Sydney this week, stop by poster #14. Find out about PBHR WA's Naloxone Peer Education project and drop us a vote. 👍

10/11/2025

In our last post, we talked about preparing crushed pills for injection using a 0.45-micron yellow wheel filter – but how is a blue wheel filter different to a yellow wheel filter? It’s simple. A yellow wheel is a particle filter, and a blue wheel is a bacterial filter.

Blue wheel filters will remove particles as small as 0.2 microns, which means they can filter out things like bacteria and fungal spores from your mix. If what you are injecting is not sterile (or if it may have been in someone’s mouth) you can use a blue wheel filter to get rid of any bugs.

No filtering m**hod will remove viruses, like hep C or HIV, from your mix, so be blood aware, no matter which filter you use.

Blue wheels remove any particles bigger than 0.2 micron, but they are not recommended for use with mixes that are thick or gluggy. A chunky mix can cause a blue wheel filter to become blocked. You can avoid this by pushing the solution through a yellow wheel before filtering with a blue one- (you can even “stack” the two filters by screwing them together if you wish). Just remember to push the mix through slowly.

Free blue wheel filters are available throughout our PARTICLE PALOOZA! filtering festival. Drop in to PBHR WA before the 16th of November and remember to pick up a QR code flyer with links to some great online resources, including our How to Use a Wheel Filter brochure.