The NSW government has finally announced its long-promised Drug Summit. Set to take place over four days starting in October, the Drug Summit represents a crucial opportunity to reshape NSW’s drug laws and prioritise health and safety over punishment.

The road to the summit

The Unharm community has been tirelessly advocating for this summit. Our community, along with our allies, has maintained relentless pressure on the government to address the urgent need for drug law reform.

Premier Chris Minns’ announcement is a testament to the power of grassroots advocacy and the growing recognition that our current approach to drugs is not working.

What to expect at the Drug Summit

The summit will begin in regional NSW before moving to Sydney for two days in December. It will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders, including:

• People with lived experience of drug use.
• Frontline workers from treatment services.
• Policy experts.
• Political leaders.

An inclusive approach is necessary to ensure that all voices are heard and policies are grounded in real-world experiences and evidence-based practices.

Key issue on the agenda

While the exact agenda is still being finalised, we are advocating for critical issues to be addressed:

1. Decriminalisation: Moving away from punitive approaches towards health-based solutions.
2. Cannabis reform: Exploring options for legal regulation.
3. Pill testing: Implementing harm reduction measures to prevent overdoses.
4. Synthetic opioid crisis: Developing strategies to address the growing threat of nitazenes and other potent synthetic drugs

The importance of this moment

The timing of this summit couldn’t be more crucial. With the increasing prevalence of dangerous synthetic opioids like nitazenes in our communities, we need urgent action to prevent overdoses and save lives. The summit provides a platform to discuss and implement evidence-based strategies that can make a real difference.

What’s next?

While the announcement of the summit is a significant victory, it’s just the beginning. We need to ensure that the discussions lead to concrete, life-saving policy changes. We’re committed to:

• Continuing to advocate for evidence-based reforms.
• Amplifying the voices of those most affected by current drug policies.
• Holding our political leaders accountable for implementing the summit’s recommendations.

What you can do

Your support has been instrumental in getting us this far, but there’s still work to do:

1. Sign our petition demanding NSW Premier Chris Minns implement pill testing to detect nitazenes and other dangerous substances.
2. Contact your local MP to express support for urgent action on synthetic opioids, including nitazenes.

The NSW Drug Summit represents a possible turning point in NSW’s approach to drug policy. Learn more about how we can help stop a synthetic opioid crisis from nitazenes and sign our petition demanding life-saving pill testing.