Peer-to-peer distribution of naloxone

Peer-led harm reduction is acknowledged as a specialist set of harm reduction interventions delivered through community networks by people with living experience.

Community-led service providers can operate funded services including fixed site NSPs, drop in centres (DIC), drug consumption rooms, or outreach services. Alternatively peers may provide secondary harm reduction services distributing needles and syringes, stimulant pipes, or naloxone provided by traditional drug services through peer networks. The peer distributors make harm reduction commodities available on a secondary basis. They may have privileged access due to their trusted position in the active drug scene or because they they run a drug using venue, or because they sell drugs. Harm reduction services also use peer workers as volunteers to undertake outreach NSP, run community clean up operations, or distribute naloxone and educate peers in overdose prevention and management. All are legitimate forms of peer-led harm reduction that make use of the living experience, community connections and privileged access of people from the local drug using community.

EuroNPUD develops technical guides that spotlight good practice from drug user groups and promote this learning for use by drug user organisations or harm reduction services. Highlighting good practice examples shows what is possible, illustrates practice lessons, and supports others to further apply and develop good practice. Technical guides gather together case studies which can then be disseminated through launch webinars, capacity building events, and made available online. These can be further supported with training courses, peer resources and advocacy briefs.

EuroNPUD technical resources are designed to support both drug user organisations and our harm reduction allies to deploy peer-led harm reduction. EuroNPUD resources are designed to be translated and tailored to different national contexts. EuroNPUD champions such good practice at conferences, policy events, and through our own webinar series and grants programmes.

The updated Peer to Peer Naloxone Technical Briefing V.2 is the latest resource developed by EuroNPUD and is made available in connection with International Overdose Awareness day, 31.08.2023 with a webinar launching the resource now in September 2023, link to webinar will be announced here and on social media soon. Click here to access more resources relating to the EuroNPUD Peer Led Harm Reduction Project.