OPCprepCOS

Do you work in, use or design overdose prevention centres? Do you work in a position directly related to the outcomes of OPCs (emergency service personnel, public health practitioner or policymaker?)? Well if so, you are exactly who we are looking for! 🚨1/3

Yesterday at #CND67, the UK strongly supported inclusion of #HarmReduction in the UN resolution on preventing overdose deaths. When will it show similar commitment at home?

Opposition to harm reduction is often framed as opposition to 'enabling' - but I struggle to see this logic as anything other than wanting to use pain and death as a form of deterrence, and 'sending the right message'. Its sado-moralism

Terrible statistic - 1 in 2 of lives lost to execution in 2023 due to drug control. There is ever more evidence that drug control is not compatible with human rights and should not be promoted by a division of the United Nations.

GAT host and ⁦@EuronpudO⁩ organise #CND67 Side Event on Quality and Community in Drug Consumption Rooms and Overdose Prevention Centres. Thursday 21 March 2024 14:10 to 15:00 CET. Room MoE79 in Vienna and link online to hybrid event. #harmreduction #peerworks

@AlexStevensKent @ISSDrugPolicy Gillian and Ben will also be joining this Side Event

Yesterday we successfully completed 1 of 2 consensus meetings to the determine our final core outcome set for the evaluation of OPCs. Thank you to the contributing academic, community and policy experts from around the world for their valuable insights! Results coming soon ⏰👊

📢 Drug Science is pleased to announce the release of a rapid evidence review collating and synthesizing the existing evidence on Overdose Prevention Centres (OPCs). @GWShorter👩‍⚕️💊 drugscience.org.uk/overdose-preve… #HarmReduction #DrugScience

The biggest evidence review on OPCs @GWShorter and absolutely no evidence to say OPCs would ‘encourage drug use’ Looking forward to your book Alex and more on #moralsidestep

Thrilled to see that the guide our @_Scutter contributed to, alongside @ben_scher1 @GWShorter and other incredible people making the news. DCRs don't encourage drug use - they make current drug use safer. We need them across the UK. theguardian.com/society/2024/j…

A new study led by our researchers has examined the evidence, in what is believed to be the largest review of Overdose Prevention Centres worldwide. “There are so many misconceptions about OPCs – how they can help and what the evidence says. These are harm-reduction spaces which aim to meet people where they are at, provide health support and basic facilities, and keep people alive. "They are places of safety and inclusion, often for those who do not have other places to go. The evidence shows when we create community for people who are often excluded from society, that is when the magic happens, people are empowered to improve their health and wellbeing." (@GWShorter, @QUBPsych) Find out more: ow.ly/mqVS50QpUhT #LoveQUB #OverdosePreventionCentre @UniofOxford @UniKent @UEAMENA @UniWestLondon @BristolUni #LoveQUBResearch

Drug consumption rooms could save 1000s of UK lives, study finds,👇 Facilities could also slash disease transmission & cut pressure on ambulance callouts & hospitals “OPCs can help save lives in an urgent & growing UK drug-death crisis” @GWshorter 1/ theguardian.com/society/2024/j…

Overdose prevention centres would save lives in the UK. The evidence from around the world is clear. Great to hear from @GWShorter and her work theguardian.com/society/2024/j…

The @ukhomeoffice line on overdose prevention centres is that they would 'encourage drug use'. This is not based on evidence, but on a moral objection to (some) drug use. #moralsidestep

Meeting with @ben_scher1 from @Queens_Belfast and Charles Henderson and myself from @Coactteam. Round 2 of Overdose Prevention Centre Quality Standards Delphi Study now live. Look to your emails for link if you engaged with round 1. Charles and I here to advise peers.

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to our study in 2023! 🎉 If you have any questions in relation to Round 2 of the e-Delphi, the OPCprep team will be back responding to emails from the 2nd of January 🤝 Have a great festive period 🥳

For those of you who participated, keep an eye on your inboxes for the start of Round 2!

🚨Round 1 is now closed🚨 A huge thanks to the over 350 OPC experts from 38 countries who participated 🌍 A special mention to @MatSouthwell and @Coactteam who engaged 50 peer experts to provide important community perspectives.

@Coactteam supported Queens University of Belfast Delphi study on Overdose Prevention Centres with @GWShorter and @ben_scher1. Charles Henderson secured community-led engagement in study that sets OPC quality standards. Link to earlier podcast on topic youtube.com/watch?v=PlWWhC…

I'm about as sceptical of mass media campaigns that promote safer drug use as I am of those that promote abstinence. But this article misunderstands the concept of stigma, which is something that is attached to people, not behaviours. 1/3

🚨FINAL CALL🚨 24h left to get involved if you work in, use or design OPCs/DCRs/SCSs and would like to participate in our e-Delphi study! A huge thank you to everyone who has already participated - big final push 👊