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r/Drugs Discord
Discord Moderator Training
Basic Harm Reduction Guide (Version 1.1)
Summary of Key Harm Reduction Principles
1. Approach with Empathy: Always be compassionate, recognizing members may feel
vulnerable. A non-judgmental tone helps create a safe space.
2. Promote Safety & Self-Care: Gently encourage members to prioritize hydration, nutrition,
rest, and setting boundaries to protect their well-being.
3. Drug Testing Encouragement: Suggest testing as a harm reduction measure. Provide
links or resources to reputable testing options, emphasizing benefits without requiring it.
4. Stimulant Use Support: Hydration, light nutrition, and supplements (like magnesium) are
helpful. Encourage breaks, suggest calming activities, and remind them that “the sesh has
to end” gently.
5. Opiate Use Support: Reminder about testing, stress the importance of Naloxone if they
have access, ask them to try to never use alone – and if so consider using a hotline, start
small with new batches or presses, always get them to call emergency services if they
believe they have taken too much.
6. Post-Psychedelic Support: Reassure members of temporary feelings, encourage restful
reflection, and avoid complex tasks until fully grounded.
7. Dissociative Use Support: Emphasize physical safety, comfort, grounding techniques,
hydration, and rest.
8. Prolonged Use Tips: Remind members to sleep, stay in a safe space, and respect their
limits. Offer gentle guidance without pressuring them.
9. Encouragement for Mental Health & Substance Use Support: Normalize seeking help,
encourage honesty with medical providers, and remind them about confidentiality. Gently
provide links to support groups or local resources.
Additional Tips for Moderators:
• List Key Resources: Familiarize yourself with local helplines, drug testing options, and
mental health services for easy linking.
• Use Commands for Crisis: For serious situations, follow protocols like the /userincrisis
command to ensure members receive the proper help quickly.
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1. General Harm Reduction Principles
• Be Empathetic: Approach all interactions with compassion. Many people may be experiencing
vulnerability or distress, so a calm, non-judgmental tone is essential.
• Promote Safety and Self-Care: Encourage members to prioritize their well-being, take breaks,
hydrate, eat, and rest.
• Set Boundaries: Offer guidance but recognize the limits of what you can provide. Moderators are
not healthcare professionals, and it’s essential to recommend seeking help from trained providers if
needed.
2. Encourage Drug Testing
Promoting Testing for Safety:
• Encourage Testing Kits: Remind members that testing their substances can be a vital step in
reducing harm. Many testing kits are affordable and accessible and can help identify potentially
harmful adulterants – some countries also offer free testing of drugs.
• Inform on Testing Methods: Share basic information on types of drug testing kits (such as reagent
kits) if members inquire. Emphasize the importance of following instructions carefully for accurate
results.
• Highlight Benefits of Testing: Remind users that testing promotes safer use, allowing them to
make informed decisions about their intake.
However:
• Avoid pushing or requiring testing but gently suggest it as a safety measure if relevant – remember
we already have a timed message!
• Provide links or references to reputable organizations or resources that offer information about drug
testing kits and methods (+testing, etc.)
2. Supporting Members Using Stimulants
• Hydration: Gently remind members to drink water, as stimulants can lead to dehydration. Suggest to
them they avoid sugary or caffeinated drinks – especially if they are already anxious
• Food and Nutrition: Suggest that they eat something, even if they don’t feel hungry. Simple,
nutrient-dense snacks like fruit or nuts can be helpful – so can protein shakes, meal replacement
drinks (Huel, Soylent etc.) and yogurts or smoothies.
• Rest and Downtime: Encourage taking short breaks to help mitigate anxiety or overstimulation.
Suggest calming activities, like deep breathing, to ease tension.
• Vitamin and Mineral Support: If appropriate, recommend they look into supplements like
magnesium to help reduce muscle tension, or multivitamins if they’ve been without nutrition for a
while.
• Gentle reminder that sometimes, the sesh has to end!
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3. Helping Members After Psychedelic Experiences
• Reassure Safety: Let members know that their feelings are likely temporary and that they’re not
alone. Remind them that they’re in a safe space.
• Encourage Rest and Reflection: Suggest they take some time to rest, journal, or talk to a friend if
they feel comfortable. Reflecting can help them process and integrate their experience.
• Avoid Complex Tasks: Suggest they avoid major decisions or complex activities until they feel fully
grounded and present again.
4. Supporting Members Using Dissociatives
• Physical Safety: Remind members to avoid activities requiring physical coordination or awareness,
such as driving, as dissociatives can impair motor skills and perception.
• Stay in a Safe Space: Suggest remaining in a comfortable, familiar environment where they feel
secure. Being in a controlled setting can prevent accidental injuries and provide mental reassurance.
• Grounding Techniques: Dissociatives can lead to detachment from reality, so encourage grounding
activities. These might include holding a comforting object, listening to familiar music, or focusing on
slow, intentional breathing to maintain a connection with their surroundings.
• Hydration and Rest: Encourage drinking water and resting. Dissociatives can sometimes interfere
with normal hydration and sleep patterns, so attention to these basics is helpful
6. Opiate Use Support & Harm Reduction
• Naloxone Awareness and Access: Inform members about the availability of naloxone (aka Narcan)
and its life-saving potential in overdose situations. Enquire if they have access to it and provide
directions to instructions on its proper use if they do, this can be done with the /narcan command on
r/Drugs Sapphire. Narcan is distributed to users & non-users in many countries and different local
areas – encourage them to look for local resources in their area if they do not personally have
access to it. Also always remind them that a single dose of Narcan does not mean the overdose is
over – they still need emergency medical attention.
• Avoid Using Alone: Encourage members to have someone they know & trust nearby when using
opiates and that if possible people they are around are are they are using – this can help them to get
early help in the event of an overdose. If being alone is unavoidable, suggest they use overdose
prevention hotlines or safety apps – you can use the command /never-user-alone from r/Drugs
Sapphire to show them this support.
• Test their Substances: Stress the importance of testing for fentanyl/zenes or other adulterants
using fentanyl&zene test strips if they can access them to reduce the risk of an overdose. Remind
them they are cheap & widely available and they may also be resources local to them that will test
for free or provide such testing strips. /buy-fentanyl-tests using r/Drugs Sapphire will bring up a list
of where to acquire test strips & discount codes.
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• Start Small: Try to encourage users with starting with a smaller dose, especially if what they have is
from a new dealer, new presses etc. to minimize the risk of overestimating tolerance and
unintentionally overdosing – not every press is the same even if it looks identical, it can contain
much more active ingredients.
• Safe Injection Practices: The command /iv-guide on r/Drugs Sapphire shows a guide on how to IV
correctly as well as other information on IV use. Try to promote the use of clean needles each time
they use and as well as the having proper supplies to prevent infections or the transmission of blood-
borne diseases from sharing or re-using needles. Try to suggest accessing needle exchange
programs if available in their area.
• Hydration and Nutrition: Remind users to stay hydrated and try to consume small, nutrient-dense
meals to combat dehydration & energy loss if they are struggling to eat. Suggest things such as
protein shakes, meal replacement drinks, oatmeal, porridge etc.
• Always Seek Medical Attention Early: Always encourage users who may have consumed too
much to seek medical attention early as they may not be able to if they fall unconscious – follow the
/overdose flowchart if necessary and if you suspect someone is having an overdose, alert all
staff using that command so the user can receive the best possible support. Also remember
to encourage members to seek medical care as soon as possible if experiencing signs of infection
from IV related use – such infections can lead to loss of limbs or life.
5. General Tips for Prolonged Substance Use
• Sleep and Rest: Encourage members to sleep or nap if they haven’t in a while. Sleep is crucial for
recovery.
• Seek a Safe Space: If possible, suggest they stay somewhere safe and comfortable; ideally with
supportive people around.
• Recognize Their Limits: Remind them that everyone has limits and that it’s okay to slow down, take
a break & ask for help.
6. Encouragement to Seek Help (Mental Health)
• If someone appears in crisis or mentions harm, remind them that professional support is available.
Normalize reaching out to local mental health or substance support services if needed. If they
appear to in a crisis situation that cannot be managed, use the /userincrisis command.
Also remember to use Sapphire HR reduction commands if necessary to give out helplines or other
information!
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8. Encouragement to Seek Help (Drug Use)
• Normalize Professional Help: Remind members that seeking support for substance use is a
positive, proactive choice – and one that does require strength but they can do it! Seeing a
healthcare professional or counsellor can provide valuable insights, personalized care, and links to
local resources to manage or reduce use safely.
• Try to Encourage Transparency with Medical Providers: Suggest that if members feel
comfortable that being honest with their doctor about substance use can be beneficial for their
health. Most Doctor’s will offer non-judgmental support and can help monitor health factors affected
by a users drug use.
• Local Resources and Support Groups: If a member expresses interest, gently direct them to local
support groups or services that provide counselling, medical assistance, or harm reduction support.
Organizations like Narcotics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, and local harm reduction centres often
offer free resources and community support.
• Highlight Confidentiality: Remind members that most healthcare professionals are bound by
confidentiality and are there to help, not judge. Assuring members of this can reduce fears around
stigma.
Additional Tips
• Avoid pushing; instead, say that professional support is a safe, empowering choice.
• Provide a list of reputable resources, including hotlines or websites that can help connect them with
support – try to familiarize yourself with some of these resources so you can easily link them!