The Aboriginal Quitline is run by Aboriginal Advisors, who are experts in helping people quit the smokes. Quitline is a telephone-based service, where Advisors give confidential advice and support to people who want to quit smoking.

Your Aboriginal Advisor can give you tips on how to quit smoking, and help you plan how you will quit. They can also give information about what medications and products could also help you quit.

Aboriginal Quitline Advisors will help you work out the best way to quit. They will listen and give advice that is suited to you.

Aboriginal Quitline offers a free call-back service, where an Aboriginal Advisor will call you to check in on how you are going as you quit the smokes.  

Call Quitline on 13 7848 (13 QUIT) and ask to speak to an Aboriginal Advisor.

The cost is the same as a local call (can be higher from mobiles).

Or you can ask for an Aboriginal Advisor to call you by filling in this short form by clicking here. 

The Alcohol & Drug Information Service (ADIS) Web Chat is a live online conversation with a professional counsellor. The service is free, confidential and open to anyone affected by alcohol and other drugs, including people concerned about their own use, or about a family member or friend. Web chat is only available for people living in NSW.

The service is provided by ADIS at St Vincent's Hospital, in partnership with the NSW Ministry of Health.

What to expect

• A counsellor will chat with you about your alcohol or other drug concerns
  
• A counsellor can provide a referral or contact information for relevant alcohol and drug services in NSW
  

To start a web chat counselling session read and accept the 'Terms and Conditions of Use' below.

Alternatively, if you would like to speak to a drug and alcohol counsellor over the phone, please call the National Alcohol and Other Drug helpline on 1800 250 015 which will direct you to your state service. The helpline is available 24/7 for anonymous and confidential support.

Emergency Assistance

Call Emergency Services on 000 if you:

• require urgent medical attention or 
• are in immediate danger or 
• are at risk of harming yourself or someone else.

NSW Health in collaboration with the Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) and local agencies has a suite of resources including videos, factsheets and free interactive online education modules to help you and your community learn more about crystal methamphetamine or ice and its effect on individuals and communities.

These resources also explain where you can get help if you or someone you know has an ice problem or you want to support someone struggling with dependence.

On this page

1. Online learning
2. Video messages from people affected by ice
3. Where to get support
4. What should I do in an emergency?
5. Fact sheets and further information
   

Online learning

This interactive tool will help you learn more about ice, its history, the effects and how to access support services, with audio and video animation.

Messages from people affected by ice

Breaking the ice in our community

Hear from an ex-user, clinicians, harm minimisation specialists and families on the impact of ice on their communities and life after ice.

Jay Morris’s story

Ex ice user Jay talks about his experience of overcoming a dependence on ice. Watch to hear from Jay about when he realised using ice became a problem, the moment he knew he needed help and his message to people using ice.

Debbie Warner’s story

Mother of ex-ice user, Debbie talks about her experience of dealing with the stigma of ice and how she found support. Hear her message for families struggling with drug dependence.

Dr Suzie Hudson’s Story

Hear from Clinical Director Dr Suzie Hudson on what ice is, how it is used, the support available and her experience of working with the people using ice. Hear her message to communities.

Where to get support

• Call the National Alcohol and Other Drugs Hotline on 1800 250 015 for free and confidential advice about alcohol and other drugs 24 hours, 7 days a week.
• Call the Stimulant Treatment Line (STL) on 02 9361 8088 Sydney Metro or Free call* on 1800 10 11 88 Regional & rural NSW for concerns about psychostimulants (crystal, ice, coke, MDMA, etc) use. 24 hours, 7 days a week. (*Free call numbers are not free from mobile phones.)
• Call Family Drug Support (FDS) on 1300 368 186 or www.fds.org.au for caring, non-religious and non-judgemental support and assistance throughout Australia.

What should I do in an emergency?

If you can’t wake someone up or you are concerned that they may have sustained a head injury from a drug related fall – call an ambulance immediately – dial Triple Zero (000).

If the person has been mixing methamphetamines with other drugs, tell the NSW Ambulance paramedic exactly what they have taken. Paramedics are there to help. Generally paramedics don’t involve the police unless there is danger to themselves or other people/children, someone dies, or a crime (such as violence or theft) has been committed.

Fact sheets and further information

For further information on methamphetamine or ice visit Methamphetamine or refer to resources for individuals and families:

• Breaking The Ice – What Is Crystalline Methamphetamine?
  • Arabic
  • Vietnamese
• Breaking the Ice – Harm Reduction
• Breaking The Ice – Family
• Breaking The Ice – For Aboriginal Communities
  • Arabic
  • Vietnamese
• Breaking The Ice – Treatment
  • Arabic
  • Vietnamese
• Breaking The Ice – Withdrawal
• Methamphetamine (Speed and Ice) Drug Facts
  • Arabic
  • Chinese simplified
  • Chinese traditional
  • Hindi
  • Vietnamese
• Methamphetamine Drug Facts Booklet
• Not Our Way - Are you standing on thin ice? Booklet for Aboriginal Communities
• Not Our Way - Ice Storybook for Aboriginal Communities

For the latest data on methamphetamine related emergency department presentations and methamphetamine related hospitalisations please visit NSW Health Stats Drug Misuse.

Health service providers can find more information on alcohol and other drugs, including early intervention, strategy, programs and guidelines on the NSW Health website.

Drinks Meter is a user-friendly app for your phone or tablet that provides confidential, personalised feedback about your alcohol use based on advice from doctors and the Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol. 

Drinks Meter is:

• Free to download
  
• Allows you to easily enter alcoholic drinks you have had in the past 7 days
  
• Adds up your weekly spend on alcohol
  
• Shows what you've been drinking in equivalent standard drinks
• Shows what you've been drinking in kilojoules / calories you've consumed, equivalent to foods like cheeseburgers or chocolate bars
  
• Shows you how your drinking compares with national alcohol guidelines and other users of Drinks Meter
• Personalises your feedback adjusted to risk factors based on family and medical history (e.g. BMI, prescription medication, mental illness and addiction)
• Has tools to help you cut down your drinking, like weekly goal setting and a drinking diary
• Includes an interactive pouring tool to help you understand how much is a standard drink
  

Get started by downloading the Drinks Meter app through your app store.

​​ FDS provides telephone support to families in crisis due to drug and alcohol issues. FDS is staffed by volunteers who have firsthand experience of drug dependent family members.

Find out how FDS can help you here.               

headspace is the National Youth Mental Health Foundation, providing mental health services to 12-25 year-olds. 

headspace services cover four core areas: mental health, physical health (including sexual health), work and study support and alcohol and other drug services. Services are confidential, youth friendly and free or low cost. Young people and their families can access information online at headspace.org.au, face-to-face services at one of over 100 headspace centres across Australia, or via eheadspace – a national online and telephone counselling service. 

Naloxone provides a significant opportunity to save lives because opioid overdoses tend to happen gradually, rather than suddenly. Opioids include pain-relieving drugs legally prescribed by a medical professional such as oxycodone, morphine, codeine and fentanyl, as well as illegal drugs such as heroin. During an overdose, opioids slow down or stop a person’s breathing, which may eventually result in death (see ‘Signs of opioid overdose’ below). However, it is possible to prevent death by administering naloxone to reverse the effects of the overdose. For this reason it is best to avoid using opioids alone, as naloxone can only help if someone can administer it quickly. 

Opioids are responsible for over three deaths in Australia per day (Australian Bureau of Statistics). Prescribed opioids account for 70 per cent of opioid-induced deaths either by accident or through misuse. In 2018 the highest number of heroin-induced deaths was seen since 2000.

1. What is naloxone?
2. Who is naloxone for?
3. Take home naloxone in NSW
4. Where can I get naloxone?
5. Signs of opioid overdose
6. Pharmaceutical opioid use
   
7. More information

What is naloxone?

Naloxone is a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. In technical terms naloxone is a short-acting opioid antagonist that stops the central nervous system slowing down, giving a person experiencing an overdose the ability to breathe normally again. Naloxone only works if a person has opioids in their system.

Naloxone can be given to a person experiencing an opioid overdose via a pre-filled injection or via a nasal spray. Traditionally, naloxone has only been administered by medical staff or emergency service officers, but with basic training it can be administered by anyone.

Who is naloxone for?

Naloxone is for anyone at risk of overdosing on opioid drugs or anyone who may witness an opioid overdose.

People in the following circumstances should consider keeping a supply of naloxone close by: 

• People on high doses of opioid pain medicines 
• People who use opioid drugs 
• People returning to opioid use after a period of stopping or quitting 
• People who use opioids in combination with other drugs or medicines 
• Family, friends or loved ones of people who use opioid drugs
  

Take home naloxone in NSW

Take home naloxone programs, for people at risk of witnessing or experiencing an opioid overdose, have been established in Australia and internationally to increase awareness of naloxone, and reduce harm and death from overdose. Having naloxone at home enables community members to access the medicine quickly when and where they need it to treat an opioid overdose.

In NSW, take home naloxone was previously available as part of a research study in St Vincent's Health Network, five Local Health Districts (South Eastern Sydney, Sydney, Western Sydney, Hunter New England and Murrumbidgee) and the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre.

The naloxone intervention is now being expanded across NSW and people are able to access free naloxone and training on how to administer the medicine. 

Naloxone is also available on prescription by a doctor or over the counter from a community pharmacy.

Where can I get naloxone?

Nyxoid® nasal spray and Prenoxad® pre-filled syringe are available for free without a prescription from community pharmacies and NSW Needle and Syringe Programs (NSP) registered in the take home naloxone program.

Pharmacies

If pharmacies registered for the take home naloxone program are out of naloxone stock, they will be able to order stock for you on request. Please allow time for processing and delivery on new orders, this should take 24 hours to complete.

Find your local participating pharmacy on the list of NSW take home naloxone registered pharmacies.

Pharmacies list (PDF)

Note: With the document open you can use your browser or PDF viewer's search function (Ctrl and F keys) to enter and search via postcode or suburb.

NSW Needle and Syringe Programs

Take Home Naloxone is also available from some Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) sites across NSW. Please contact your local NSP service to confirm naloxone availability.

Needle and Syringe Program sites

Information about overdose

Pharmaceutical opioid use

There is a high risk of accidental overdose from pharmaceutical opioids such as fentanyl when used other than by your doctor's instructions, due to its potency and very fast action once inside the body. For example, fentanyl patches that attach to the skin can cause fatal overdose when heat is applied over the top, or if someone does not keep track of how much and how often it is being taken.

If you are prescribed a pharmaceutical opioid only use it as prescribed by your doctor and pay attention to any warning or caution advice.

More information

Check out the A-Z of Drugs listing and Support Services pages, including the NSW Opioid Treatment Program page for further information.

For further enquiries on the take home naloxone Intervention in NSW email MOH-naloxone@health.nsw.gov.au.

Information for NSW public health services, Medically Supervised Injecting Centres (MSIC) and non-government and private service providers can be found at health.nsw.gov.au/aod/programs/Pages/naloxone. For information on the Commonwealth Government Take home naloxone pilot visit health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/take-home-naloxone-pilot.

For free and confidential advice give an Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) counsellor a call on 1800 250 015, they are available 24 hours, 7 days a week to provide confidential support and advice.

The NSP is for people who inject drugs to avoid contracting or transmitting bloodborne diseases and to provide a place for safe disposal of sharps containers (needles and syringes).

NSP Outlets in NSW

To help the community access the program, an interactive map has been developed listing all public NSP outlets across NSW. Use the map below to find your nearest NSP outlet or refer to the NSP listing by suburb page for details.

If you would like further information and/or advice call the Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) on 1800 250 015.

The NSW Opioid Treatment Program (OTP), also known as opioid agonist treatment or opioid substitution treatment, provides pharmacotherapy and support services to people with an opioid dependence. Treatment may be provided as a short term measure to assist people to stop using other opioids, or for long term maintenance.

The OTP is provided through public clinics, private clinics, general practitioners (GPs) and community pharmacies, and correctional facilities, and may be provided alongside other treatments such as counselling or residential rehabilitation. The pharmacotherapy medicines used in the NSW OTP are methadone, buprenorphine – including depot buprenorphine, given in an injection under the skin weekly or monthly – and buprenorphine-naloxone.

1. What is opioid dependence?
2. What are pharmacotherapy medicines?
3. NSW Opioid Treatment Program
4. Mixing OTP medicines with other drugs
5. Driving Safety
6. Talk to someone about OTP
7. FAQs for OTP patients during COVID-19 (PDF)

What is opioid dependence?

When some people experience pain, both physical and or psychological, they may rely on opioids to make their body and mind feel better. People who are dependent on opioids find it very hard to stop using or cut down because of withdrawal symptoms. Stopping opioid use abruptly can lead to withdrawal symptoms, these can begin to occur within only a few hours after last use.

Symptoms can include:

• Sweats and chills
• Sleeplessness and broken sleep
• Uneasiness/anxiety
• Feeling restless
• Diarrhoea
• Restless legs
• Stomach and leg cramps
• Nausea
• Runny nose and eyes
• Joint pain
• Cravings (wanting opioids very badly)

Some people may experience withdrawal after they have been on strong medicines prescribed by their doctor, such as oxycodone (Endone) or codeine. While others may experience it after using illicit drugs like heroin. Dependence is a medical condition, regardless of how people become dependent or what drug they use, everyone is entitled to treatment.

What are pharmacotherapy medicines?

Methadone, buprenorphine and buprenorphine-naloxone belong to a group of sedating and strong pain-killing drugs called opioids. Both methadone and buprenorphine are long-acting opioids, therefore only one dose per day is usually needed to prevent the uncomfortable symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Methadone and buprenorphine may also be prescribed by clinicians to patients to treat severe or chronic pain or in palliative care settings.

The effects of methadone and buprenorphine can include relief from pain and a feeling of wellbeing, but can also cause nausea, sleepiness and long term use can have effects on male reproductive health, libido and cause sweating and constipation.

Buprenorphine is effective at blocking the effect of other opioids, as it binds tightly to the opioid receptors in the brain. It comes in three different forms, a tablet (Subutex) or film (Suboxone) which are dissolved under the tongue, and a long acting injection (depot- Buvidal and Sublocade). For depot buprenorphine, injections last a week or a month.

Buprenorphine may also be mixed with naloxone (buprenorphine-naloxone) to discourage people injecting.

NSW Opioid Treatment Program

The purpose of the OTP is to provide patients with access to treatment for opioid dependency, with a focus on improving patients’ health, wellbeing and engagement with their families and community.

Patients can access treatment through public drug and alcohol services, private clinics, GPs and community pharmacies. The type of treatment they access will depend on the complexity of the care they need and their location.

Treatment through public clinics is free for patients with the most complex care needs or for those needing supervised dosing.

In many cases, patients can be treated in community settings such as private GP clinics with management of methadone or buprenorphine dispensed daily through community pharmacies.

Most patients are required to start the program with a nurse or a pharmacist watching them take the methadone or buprenorphine every day. After some time patients may be able to have some of the medication to take at home, but this is only after the patient and the doctor are comfortable with how the treatment is progressing, and it is safe to do so.

Long-acting depot buprenorphine does not require supervision because once the medication is injected it is slowly released over days or weeks, depending on the formulation.

Patients and doctors will decide together what treatment plan and medication is best. Some patients may want to take the medication for a short amount of time, other patients may feel they need the medications for longer, each patients’ needs are different.

Clinicians delivering the OTP are guided in practice by the NSW Clinical Guidelines: Treatment of Opioid Dependence.

Only patients with opioid dependence are suitable for the OTP program. Similar opioid treatment programs are available in all states and territories.

Mixing OTP medicines with other drugs

Methadone and buprenorphine alone are not risky to take but it is necessary to understand how they interact with other sedating substances – particularly benzodiazepines and alcohol. There is a risk of over-sedation when taking sedating medications or alcohol while being treated with methadone.

It is important that patients discuss with their clinicians (doctor, nurse or pharmacist) about all their prescriptions and their other substance use. Doctors can choose a different combination of prescription medication to reduce the risks.

Driving Safety

It is not risky to drive when on a stable dose of methadone or buprenorphine, as long as you are not taking other sedating substances or drugs at the same time.

In the first two weeks of buprenorphine and first four weeks of methadone treatment, and any time where the dose is changed by 5mg or more, you are strongly advised NOT to drive or operate heavy machinery.

For more information, visit drivingsafety.com.au 
or
Download the Driving Safety and Medicines Fact Sheet. 

Pregnancy and child safety

Babies and children can die from taking methadone or buprenorphine. It is important that any takeaway doses are stored in a locked cupboard or drawer, and to never take the medicines in front of children. Depot buprenorphine is a good alternative for parents, as there are no takeaway doses and therefore no chance of exposing children to the medicines.

Methadone and buprenorphine must never be given to babies or children, unless prescribed to them. If a child has taken it call 000 (triple zero) immediately.

If you are dependent on opioids and pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, it is important you consider getting treatment for opioid dependency. Substance Use in Pregnancy and Parenting Service (SUPPS) can coordinate treatment, call Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) on 1800 250 015, for counselling and referrals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Talk to someone about OTP

The Opioid Treatment Line (OTL) is a phone based service that provides opioid pharmacotherapy information, referrals, advice and a forum for pharmacotherapy or treatment concerns. OTL assists people who want to know more about the system of opioid treatment in NSW, including how to get onto a program, and what they should expect from clinics and doctors providing the service.

For more information contact the Opioid Treatment Line (OTL) on 1800 642 428, Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5.00pm with temporarily extended service hours to include 9:30am - 2:00pm on weekends and public holidays to support Covid-19 related queries.

For information from a consumer led organisation, contact NSW Users and AIDS Association (NUAA).

NEW! Consumer guideline series is available online through NUAA.

For free and confidential advice call the Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) on 1800 250 015. Counsellors are available 24/7 to provide information, referrals, crisis counselling and support. Or start a Web Chat with an ADIS counsellor online Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 5pm.

​​If you need information about support or treatment options for alcohol and other drugs you can contact one of these services.

Music festivals are the highlight of the calendar. You're psyched to be seeing your favourite artists, hanging out with mates, meeting new people and having an awesome experience. To make sure the fun doesn't stop for you and your mates, it's important to know how to party safe and stay OK.

Ultimate festival experience = Preparation

Preparation is paramount to the ultimate festival experience. Planning for what could happen in the event you or someone else needs help because of alcohol or drug use is just as key as your wardrobe, bum-bag game, road trip playlist, phone and other essentials.

1. Pre-festival safety checklist
   
2. Drug safety and overdose
3. The law and long-term problems
   

If your drug and alcohol use is negatively impacting on your health, family, relationships, work, school or other social situations, you may need to seek help. Support services are available for you, your family and friends.

Your Service Hub is an online directory of alcohol and other drugs support, health and welfare services. If you need support for your own or someone else's substance use, you should use terms in Find Services like:

• drug and alcohol family support
  

• drug and alcohol Aboriginal services 
  

• drug counselling
  

• drug and alcohol rehabilitation
  

• drug and alcohol residential treatment
  

along with your suburb name to narrow the search to services near you.

Not sure what service you need? Call the Alcohol and Drug Information Service on 1800 250 015.