The HSE – in association with Drugs.ie, Gay Health Network, HIV Ireland, GMHS, Gay Switchboard Ireland and Man2Man – have launched a new harm reduction campaign around G.

Despite the strict lifetime ban that much of the Dublin gay scene have implemented for those who take G, this harm reduction campaign would indicate that it is still being consumed.

“In response to the increased use of G as a party drug and reports of users turning up in emergency departments having overdosed on the drug,” Gay Switchboard Ireland director Adam Shanley said, “we have come together to create a harm reduction campaign, which has a number of different elements.”

G, a term used in reference to two drugs GHB and GBL, is a central nervous system depressant which “can give you a high with small doses and sedation with only slightly higher doses” according to a leaflet provided by the those involved in this campaign .

The harm reduction campaign includes posters in both English and Portuguese in popular pubs and clubs, a G Card which has advice for paramedics should someone using the drug be found unconscious, an information brochure to inform clinical staff in hospitals and sexual health & drug services and more recently, a pocket sized harm reduction booklet for users.

Now, these organisations have created yet another element to their G harm reduction campaign, taking an ad out in this months’ issue of GCN, which seeks to inform G users of the best way to help reduce the possibility of harm.

“It is always safest not to take unknown or illicit drugs at all,” the ad reads, “if you do decide to take G, remember:

• Always pre-measure G carefully.
• Never swig from the bottle.
• Prepare your own G – avoid using someone else’s G.
• Always use as low dose of G as possible and wait.
• Take G orally.
• Alcohol mixed with G can increase the risk of overdose. Mix G with water, soft drinks or juice.
• Avoid using G alone and always use with people you trust in a safe environment.
• Always carry condoms if using G
• Seek medical help if needed. Don’t assume that people will ‘sleep it off’.

For more information visit Man2Man.

Is this kind of harm reduction information a step in the right direction for public health? Let us know in the comments below.