Highlights from 2024: Harm Reduction

Thursday Breakfast

Highlights from 2024: Harm ReductionYou're listening to Thursday Breakfast's Summer Programming on 3CR Community Radio. Today's show features a selection of interviews from the voices of those fighting for harm reduction. You will first hear from Martin Hodgson about the colonial crisis of domestic and family violence in so-called Australia, as well as important conversations about alcohol and other drugs harm reduction. Stay tuned to 3CR 855AM, 3CR Digital and streaming at 3cr.org.au or via the Community Radio App.// Acknowledgement of Country// Martin Hodgson - Thursday, 27 June 2024Martin Hodgson, senior advocate at the Foreign Prisoner Support Service and co-host of Curtain the Podcast, speaks with us about the colonial crisis of domestic and family violence in so-called Australia. This conversation occurs in the context of Martin's recent appearance at a Parliamentary hearing held as part of the ongoing inquiry into missing and murdered First Nations women and children. While the Senate referred an inquiry into missing and murdered First Nations women and children to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee on 4 August 2022, the inquiry process continues, with the reporting date extended to 15 August 2024.//Content warning: this interview will include discussion of domestic and family violence, femicide and racism. If you are feeling distressed, you can always call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners can also contact 13 YARN (13 92 76), or Yarning Safe'n'Strong on 1800 959 563. If you need support or advice, please call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.// Dr James Petty - Thursday, 11 July 2024We were joined by Dr James Petty Senior Policy and Research Officer from VAADA, the peak for Victorian alcohol and other drug treatment services. We discussed the recent health alerts indicating that illicit drugs such as cocaine have been adulterated with a range of substances, including nitazenes. In acknowledgement of this risk, Harm Reduction Victoria (HRVic) and VAADA have developed a paper calling for the sector and the Victorian Government to work together on developing and delivering a Potent Synthetic Opioids Plan.// Dr Chris Gill - Thursday, 29 August & 5 September 2024Dr Chris Gill, Professor of Chemistry has co-lead the the team that has created revolutionary drug checking technology through spray mass spectrometry used around the world, and originating in ''british columbia, canada.'' In Part 1 of this interview, we speak about the importance of small sample sizes in drug checking, the nuances of sensitivity, and what we here in Naarm/melbourne can learn from innovative drug checking technology and the management of opioid overdose crisises. In part 2, we speak about translating this technology into supportive drug checking practices for the community, and check out Substance Drug Checking Service.// Dr. George (Kev) Dertadian - Thursday, 14 March 2024Social researcher Dr George (Kev) Dertadian spoke with us about settler colonialism, criminalisation and drug prohibition as explored in his recent paper, ‘The Coloniality of Drug Prohibition’ (open access). Kev works on unceded Bedagal land and does field-based research with people who use drugs, including both marginalised and structurally advantaged groups. As a member of the Center for Criminology, Law and Justice Kev advocates for non-carceral responses to drug use, with a particular focus on harm reduction.// Alcohol and other Drug Harm Reduction Resources:National Alcohol and other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.Harm Reduction Victoria's Naloxone Training. No need to register, and you recieve a free Naloxone kit. How to get free Naloxone aka Narcan®HRVic's Naloxone Nasal Spray Instructions FlyerHarm reduction tipsSigns of an an opioid overdose //