This year we had our largest number of Harm Reduction Hotties modelling for us. We’d like to thank you all!

Heather Calton, AJ Brown, Kate, Rita Johnson, Bry, Carmen Blanco, Bolton, Camille Heye, Chris Rintoul, Kaitlyn Mercy, Denise Brauner, Emanuel Sferios, Foxy Treadaway, Frank Osten, Joseph Keen, Justin Shytle, Kelly Mytinger, Catherine Swanson, Alessandra Ross. Jennifer Vandershay, Margaret Fay Sledeen, Matthew Boardman, Mowhawk Greene, Nichole Alexander, Parris Wallace, Phillip Fiuty, Philip Ribeiro, Rita Johnson, Theodore Frey, Yakita Gabrano, Kirby Rodriguez, Rafi Torruella, Brayan Alvarado, Luis Badenas, Arnaldo Berríos, Chu Rodríguez and all the other hotties who so kindly gave their time and energy to help us raise funds for harm reduction causes.

The internet has always been where Harm Reduction has found a home, providing pseudonymous and cheap platforms for spreading HR messages.

Sites like Facebook and Reddit often offer highly moderated communities, which can be good, even if standards are somewhat arbitrarily enforced. On the other hand, platforms like Telegram, Discord and WhatsApp offer less moderated experiences, often run as peer support groups. This can be fantastic for getting help, but you have to be on your toes, watching for trolls and keeping up on terms of service – every platform has some limits on the type of content and interactions that are acceptable.

Participation is as simple as creating a username and jumping into the conversation. Although finding a community that fits your needs may take a while, don’t be afraid to explore private Facebook groups, Discord servers, and message boards. An excellent way to judge a community is how welcoming participants are to new members learning to use the system.

Pitfalls

These are peer-run systems with all the good and bad that brings. So, it’s important to be aware of a few things before heading out into the world of boards and chats:

• Relationships over networks have a different power dynamic than normal relationships, so be careful when getting close to people you do not actually know.
• Don’t doxx yourself! You don’t owe an explanation of where you are/personal details to anyone in an internet setting./li>

• You might build trust over time that warrants disclosure, but it isn’t required, and anyone asking for personal information up front probably has harmful intentions./li>
• Don’t feed the trolls. Internet communities always have a troll element. A good community has active mods that will quickly correct abusive behavior, but to effectively use online help models, you have to learn to ignore a certain amount of BS from people with nothing better to do than harass others./li>

• Seek mods. ANY online community worth your time will have an active, concerned moderation team that responds quickly to harassment or inappropriate content, corrects behavior and makes the community safe for all participants. If this is not the case, find a new community. Or – join up as a mod! And build the community you would like to see!/li>

Pure drugs may sometimes be dangerous but adulterated or ‘mis-sold’ drugs (where the drug you receive isn’t the drug you intended to buy) are even more so. At least if you can confirm what drug you have, you can make sure you follow harm reduction practices that will help keep you safe.

There are three basic forms of drugs testing:

• Reagent testing
• Strip testing
• Forensic testing

Reagent Testing

Reagent testing is also called spot or colorimetric tests. Essentially reagent testing creates a chemical interaction which identifies the presence of certain substances contained in the sample based on color changes/codes. Originally used in the rave scene by Dancesafe to test for ecstasy at raves, reagent tests are available on the internet and test for a variety of substances with results available in 30 seconds.

Strip Testing

All test strips are an off-label uses of drug testing equipment. These test strips test a tiny amount of drugs for the presence of one. Even the residue in baggies is sufficient for test strips to tell if the drug is present. Fentanyl strips are the most commonly available ones at harm reduction programs though strips that test for benzodiazepines are increasingly available.

Forensic Testing

Normally used in criminal investigation forensic testing describes a variety of chemically sensitive tests that identify drugs and other chemicals used in crimes. Forensic testing includes ion mobility spectrometry, infrared spectrometry, raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry and, the gold standard mass spectrometry. Of these mass spectrometry and raman spectroscopy show the most promise for harm reduction programs.

Down, or Tranq is heroin or fentanyl in a mixture with other compounds, most often xylazine, a potent alpha-2 adrenergic agonist used in veterinary medicine as an analgesic/anesthetic muscle relaxant. Down produces the typical effects of intense opioid intoxication and potent alpha-2 agonist effects – lowered blood pressure, sleepiness and confusion, sometimes persisting for days after a single dose.

Currently, Down is found most prevalently in the Puerto Rico & East Coast US heroin supplies.

Harm Reduction Tips

• Missed shots reduce blood flow and cause necrosis in tissue. Darkened drainage spots and wounds in a state of prolonged healing need to be attended to medically ASAP.
• Naloxone will not work to revive someone in alpha-2 agonist overdose. It is necessary to perform rescue breathing along with Narcan if attempting to revive.
• Tiny tester shots can help users know if what they have been given is too strong.
• Switching to kratom or a safe opioid source can help users avoid xylazine mixtures.
• Always use with a trusted partner.
• If you suspect xylazine contamination, NEVER use it in an unsafe situation, as you could be rendered unconscious for multiple days. There are reports of this being used to assault people. Always be aware of your surroundings.
• If a safe location is not an option, in public around people might be the next best bet. If you cannot be found, you cannot be assisted.

Use Reduction Tips

Anyone stopping Down needs to understand that they are dependent on at least two substances, one an opioid, the other xylazine. Xylazine withdrawals can cause deadly rebound hypertension, terrible anxiety and sleeplessness. If you are heavily dependent on a Down mix, you will need a supply of the mixture you are currently taking to titrate (reducing the dose over time) though this is difficult. Another route is to secure a supply of separate opioids and an a2 agonist, such as clonidine, taking the minimum amounts to stave off withdrawal and titrating down from there.

The best HR advice for withdrawal is: to seek medical care. Down withdrawal is a complex process that should be overseen by a medical professional if possible.