The purpose of this report is to outline emerging evidence on developing and issuing drug warnings1 to inform the practices of organisations that issue them across Australia. Drug warnings aim to:

• Alert people who use drugs and the public about acute and emerging drug threats. ▪ Inform people who use drugs of harm reduction strategies to reduce risk.
• Increase awareness amongst professional groups and networks who may need to respond. ▪ Facilitate information sharing among stakeholders.
• Reduce incidence and impact of drug related harms.

Much of the content in this report has been drawn from projects conducted and published in 2023:

• The European Union Drug Agencies (EUDA) review of risk communication for drug checking services.
• The Informing Drug Alerts in Australia (IDAA) survey
• A co-design project on drug alerts that engaged Australian alcohol and other drug service providers.

We present this report with recognition that people who use drugs have long demonstrated care for each other and play a vital role in alerting each other to concerns regarding drug supply. People with lived experience must be included at all stages of issuing a public drug warning.