NUAA NSW

27/02/2026

Meet the team: Aboriginal Peer Support worker, Darren (he/him)

Darren is a Yorta Yorta man who joined NUAA in 2025. Based out at Nepean-Blue Mountains, Darren works closely with Aboriginal community members to promote harm reduction and provide culturally led peer support.

When not at work Darren does Aboriginal dot painting and makes wooden artifacts such as boomerangs, coolamons, didgeridoos and clapping sticks. He also enjoys riding dirt bikes, spending time with his partner and supporting his son’s budding martial arts career.

Along with his son and partner, Darren’s family includes three American pitbulls, Gucci, Nala and Bandit. 🐶

26/02/2026

Live free of hepatitis C, it’s your right.

Follow the link to find out more: https://itsyourright.com.au/

21/02/2026

In Australia what's sold as 'GHB' is usually a copycat substance called a GHB pro-drug.

These act similarly to GHB but can have high risks as the margin between a fun night and an overdose is razor thin. Here's what you need to know to stay safe. ➡️

🔗 Follow the link for more educational material: https://www.dancewizensw.org.au/drug-resources

20/02/2026

✨️ Mardi Gras season has begun! ✨️

🏳️‍🌈 Whether you're celebrating at home or at an event, our friends at .acon have shared some handy tips for partying safe.

📆 The Between the Lines team are running a FREE Party Safe 101 workshop in Western Sydney on Wednesday 25th February, covering harm reduction, how to support friends having a rough time, and how to use Naloxone in an emergency.

🔗 Visit https://www.usersnews.com.au/home/party-safe-101 for more information.

19/02/2026

The NSW Drug Checking Trial will be at this Saturday, Feb 21 🌈

Find us next to the medical tent between 2pm and 8pm.

If you're feeling unwell or worried about a friend flag down an rover (the heroes in the bright pink vests).

If you're looking for any extra harm reduction advice this Mardi Gras festival be sure to follow .acon

17/02/2026

The NSW Drug Checking Trial will be at this Saturday, Feb 21 🌈

At the service you will find;
❤️‍🩹Free Naloxone
🔬 Purity testing for most substances
🧑‍🤝‍🧑Peer harm reduction advice
🗑️Safe discard bin

If you need help keep an eye out for the rovers in their bright pink vests. And if you're looking for any extra harm reduction advice this Mardi Gras festival be sure to follow .acon

17/02/2026

Meet the Team: Consumer Research Coordinator, Adriaan (he/him).

Adriaan (nicknamed Baz due to his last name) started as a DanceWize NSW volunteer in 2021, he then joined NUAA as a peer educator in the NSW Drug Checking Trial before taking on the role of consumer research coordinator in 2025.

Baz has a degree in medical science and loves being able to merge his experience as a peer with his love of science.

“I wanted to work in a place where I didn't have to separate my professional skills from my community experience. It’s rare to find a job where you can be open about who you are and have that viewed as a skill rather than a risk.

“I’m passionate about seeing consumers and peers at the forefront of research. Researchers have the theory, but peers have the practical experience, and without that input, the data just isn't accurate.”

Baz enjoys discovering new research on topics like chemistry, pharmacology and technology. He often brings that passion to his work with the community and says some of his favourite moments are when he’s working directly with punters.

“There is nothing better than helping someone feel prepared to make safer decisions or having a chat about interactions that results in them having a safer, better night.”

At home Baz has a very smart rescue dog named Rosie and a cat named Pixie who “simply wandered into my room one day and decided she lived there now.”

Outside of work Baz enjoys partying, deep-diving into niche Reddit threads, watching films (specifically “wholesome anime or psychological thrillers”) and drinking tea. “Yerba Mate and Genmaicha are my go-tos,” he says. 🍵

15/02/2026

Due to an increase in demand NUAA has made some changes to how the Postal NSP operates.
The Postal NSP is funded for a specific public health purpose: reducing blood-borne virus (like HIV or Hep C) transmission, particularly where risk is highest.
To keep the service available for people who need it most, we’ve introduced:
• limits on free supply
• limits on order frequency
• and cost-price options for additional equipment
These changes help ensure we can continue supporting people at highest risk, including those in regional and remote NSW.
If you are experiencing any issues accessing equipment due to the change, please get in touch.
Thanks for your understanding and for helping us keep this service available long-term.

To find your nearest public Needle and Syringe Program (NSP):
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/hepatitis/Pages/nsp-outlets.aspx
For further information, please contact us:
📧 postalnsp@nuaa.org.au
📞 (02) 9171 6650

13/02/2026

Love the team at NUAA xoxo

12/02/2026

REMINDER: 📣 Join us Thursday February 19th for NUAA's next EXPAND webinar on the intersections of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) and the LGBTQ+ community. 🌈

Drugs have long been part of q***r* spaces, connected to celebration, pleasure, connection, and community. This session creates space to talk openly about these experiences and asks how we can better support the LGBTQ+ community in ways that are affirming, respectful, and led by lived and living experience.

We’ll explore the cultural context of drug use in LGBTQ+ communities, the ways q***r communities care for one another, and how services can better support autonomy, choice, and control around drug use and help-seeking. We’ll also look at how gender and sexuality shape these experiences.

🔗 Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/nSRA7A64Rf-VGMWJN6qD0w #/registration

*In line with ACON, a leading Australian LGBTQ health organization, NUAA recognizes "q***r" as a reclaimed, often political, umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities, particularly favored by younger generations to describe identities outside heterosexual or cisgender norms. While used to celebrate difference, it may still carry negative connotations for some, especially older individuals.

08/02/2026

Pills treat hepatitis C in 8-12 weeks. Fast effective treatment without any injections. Since 2016 medications have improved and are now easily tolerated. It’s getting easier all the time.

It's Your Right to live free of Hep C. All it takes is one to three pills a day for 8-12 weeks, and you can repeat treatment if you get hep C again (and agai...

07/02/2026

Cathinones, also called 'bath salts', are a synthetic stimulant sometimes sold as M**A.

Recently they were detected in pills circulating in NSW. Scroll through our education resource to learn how to stay safe if your caps or pills are not what you thought. ➡️

🔗See the latest drug alert at the NSW Health Website (https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/aod/public-drug-alerts/Pages/high-dose-mdma-jan26.aspx)