David Baxter is the Programs Manager at CAHMA. David has co-ordinated CAHMA's Take-Home Naloxone program since 2015. David has 35 years lived experience of illicit and injecting drug use and he is an experienced peer educator in the drug and alcohol field.

In 2012, The Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy (CAHMA) commenced Australia's first pilot take-home naloxone program. In the intervening years CAHMA has provided over 3500 naloxone kits to around 2000 individuals. CAHMA's take-home naloxone program has always had a strong emphasis on information and education; CAHMA is a peer-based drug and alcohol support service and peer education forms an integral part of our service. CAHMA's Overdose Management and Naloxone Administration training program that is embedded in our take-home naloxone program has evolved considerably since 2012 in response to changing drug trends, particularly in the illicit drug using context, and to the changing formulations of naloxone. Moreover we have tailored different training programs for differing audiences including illicit and injecting opioid users, their friends and families, people who are prescribed opioid pain medication and their friends and families, employees at other drug and alcohol service providers, prison staff including corrections officers and clinical staff, housing and social service employees and University and CIT students.
In the presentation we will discuss how CAHMA's take-home naloxone program has adapted to changing circumstances over the years, and how we use our lived experience of drug use and our position as peer educators to embed a strong harm reduction ethic within the ACT's drug using population.