Drugs Uncut

Real Voices, Real Experiences, Real Change - A real conversation with the Buzz Magazine peer editorial board

In the latest episode, Kirsten Horsburgh, CEO of SDF, and Jason Wallace, Lived and Living Experience Programme Manager at SDF, sit down with Nikki and John from the Buzz Magazine Peer Editorial Board for a behind-the-scenes look at how the magazine is made. They talk about the progress Buzz has achieved so far, what being part of the editorial board means to them, and how they develop the stories that shape each issue. An insightful conversation about creativity, voice, and the power of peer-led media.

You can read issue #2 at www.buzz.scot

Meet Buzz: Scotland’s new peer-led magazine

In this episode, SDF CEO Kirsten Horsburgh is joined by her new co-host Jason Wallace, Programme Manager for Lived and Living Experience at SDF, alongside Hannah Westwater, Editor & Content Creator and Billy McKay, Peer Community Engagement Officer for Buzz. They discuss the launch of ‘Buzz’ - a bold, peer-led magazine created, developed and led by an Editorial Board, all of whom are people with living experience of drug use in Scotland.

The team explore how the magazine was produced, how the Peer Editorial Board create the content, and how Buzz amplifies the authentic voices from the community. They also share plans for future issues and the vision for the magazine as a tool for connection, conversation, and challenging stigma across Scotland.

 

You can read the first issue of Buzz on their website at www.buzz.scot

Austin Smith: Reflecting on Two Decades at SDF

After nearly two decades at Scottish Drugs Forum, Austin Smith, our Head of Policy, Practice and Communications, has retired - leaving behind an extraordinary legacy of influence, leadership and change. To mark this significant milestone, Austin joined our CEO for a special episode of SDF’s Drugs Uncut podcast to reflect on his time in post - from how the landscape has changed, to what still needs to happen, and what has kept him going through it all. It’s a conversation full of insight and honesty

Glasgow - Delivering the UK's first Drug Consumption Room

What is happening in Glasgow will be crucial in the development of harm reduction services across the UK in the next decade. Dr Saket Priyadarshi, clinical lead of Glasgow's treatment services and Gillian Ferguson co-ordinator of Glasgow Alcohol and Drug Partnership - the local commissioning and co-ordinating body - discuss the background to delivering the UK's first drug consumption room - the issues it will address; how it has been designed and delivered and how its impacts will be evaluated.  

Harm Reduction: Hope in Practice with Sheila Vakharia

Sheila Vakharia of the Drug Policy Alliance, author of The Harm Reduction Gap, discusses the development and aims of harm reduction, and hope as a practice.

'Peers are Bridge Builders' with Mat Southwell

In this episode of Drugs Uncut, SDF’s Wez Steele is joined by Mat Southwell, Project Co-ordinator at EuroNPUD.

Mat and Wez discuss the key role peers have in the development of policy and practice as well as the effective delivery of services. They also discuss the uniquely British division between harm reduction advocacy and recovery when the community’s diverse experiences and perspectives are most impactful when peers work together.

Mat provides international and UK examples of good practice in involving and compensating peers, and describes the good practice guide to employing people who use drugs  which he created for The International HIV/AIDS Alliance in 2015.

Finally, Mat and Wez discuss Mat’s involvement in research and the distribution of crack pipes in England, how peers are involved and what Scotland can learn.

‘Bridging the gap between drug services and sexual health services’ with Adrienne Hannah

In this episode Julie and Austin are joined by Adrienne Hannah as she reflects on her career as she retires from SDF. Over 11.5 years with SDF,  Adrienne's work has focused on educating drug services about sexual health and educating sexual health services about drug use. Alongside highlighting this work she shares her insight into current issues related to the HIV outbreak, children and young people, and gender and sexuality.

 

‘Changing attitudes and policy through living experience representation’ with Arild Knutsen Part 2

Arild Knutsen is Leader of The Association for Humane Drug Policy in Norway. Arild recently visited Scotland and presented on the role of people who use drugs in helping develop drug policy in Norway at SDF’s International Overdose Day conference. In this episode, Arild joins SDF colleagues, Jason Wallace, Louise Aitken, and Wez Steele to talk about the representation of living and lived experience voices in policy and service delivery and the effects of stigma from various levels of society.

 

This episode is part 2 of two part conversation with Arild, to listen to part 1 visit https://drugsuncut.podbean.com/e/changing-attitudes-and-policy-through-living-experience-representation-with-arild-knutsen/

’Changing attitudes and policy through living experience representation’ with Arild Knutsen Part 1

Arild Knutsen is Leader of The Association for Humane Drug Policy, a drug user organisation in Norway.

Arild recently visited Scotland and presented at SDF’s International Overdose Day conference. In this episode, Arild joins SDF colleagues, Jason Wallace, Louise Aitken, and Wez Steele to talk about the influence of living experience; the importance of living experience representation in the media, policy and government; how this involvement plays out in reality and harm reduction initiatives, drug consumption rooms and overdose prevention in each country.

’Synthetic opioids: real concerns and misconceptions; what Scotland can learn from the US’ with Ryan Marino, MD

Ryan Marino, MD works in emergency room medicine in Ohio where he encounters the people victimised by America’s opioid overdose crisis. Meanwhile, he fights the myths and ignorance that hinder efforts to address that crisis and specifically synthetic opioids like fentanyl via his social media activity for which he has an audience of 100 000 followers.  Drugs Uncut asked Ryan to share his experience and insight and considers the lessons for the UK where synthetic opioids are being discovered within our heroin supply.