7 Essential Online Risk Reduction Tools for Substance Users

08 Agosto 2025

Substance use continues to be heavily stigmatized, and its production and distribution are not regulated. This scenario encourages the spread of myths, exaggerations, and unfounded fears, which hinders access to reliable information on how to reduce risks.

GAT – Grupo de Ativistas em Tratamentos (Treatment Activists Group) argues that access to information saves lives. Regardless of the decision to use or not, everyone has the right to clear, quality data so they can make safer and more informed decisions.

Based on the results of the Next-Gen Harm Reduction survey, several leading digital platforms were identified. This article presents seven essential resources that can be part of a personal risk reduction kit.

Misinformation about drugs is not neutral: it fuels stigma, hinders open dialogue, and can put people's health at risk.

Common examples include:

Rumors about “deadly combinations” that drive people away from reliable sources, exposing them to real dangers;
Incomplete information about effects or doses that can lead to excessive consumption;
Lack of data on interactions, increasing the risk of dangerous combinations for the heart, liver, or nervous system;
Using platforms based on science and practical experience allows for better planning of consumption, recognition of warning signs, and adoption of preventive strategies.

The golden rule is to always maintain a critical spirit and confirm the source of information before applying it. Now, here are our seven suggestions for digital resources that can and should be used:

1. TripSit – tripsit.me

TripSit is one of the most comprehensive websites on substance use and offers a particularly useful resource: the interaction map. It includes:

Detailed and up-to-date profiles of various substances;
Information on doses, duration, effects, and safer forms of consumption;
An interactive tool to check interactions between drugs and medications (with color codes for risk assessment);
Real-time support chat with experienced volunteers.

2. Sento.Mesmo – @sento.mesmo on Instagram

Brazilian page that produces accessible and humorous content on safer substance use. It includes:

Short videos with practical tips on self-care and risk reduction;
Clear language free of moralizing, in Portuguese;
Information based on science and the experience of those who work with care and active listening.

Additional suggestion: for content in English, the page @drugs.ie, promoted by the National Office for Social Inclusion of the Health Services Executive of Ireland, offers tips and updates on new psychoactive substances (NPS).

3. KnowDrugs – knowdrugs.app

Mobile application that provides technical and practical data on psychoactive substances, especially used to confirm the composition of substances and avoid dangerous adulterations.

Results of chemical analyses (drug checking) carried out by trusted organizations;
Information on the actual composition of pills, powders, and liquids found on the market;
Scientific database with references, descriptions of effects, and warnings about adulteration.

4. PsychonautWiki – psychonautwiki.org

Collaborative online encyclopedia, created by and for people who use substances consciously. Although it contains many well-referenced entries, it does not replace professional advice or other verified sources. It should be used as a supplement.

This encyclopedia of psychoactive substances includes:

Detailed information on doses, effects, and risks;
Explanations of mechanisms of action, tolerance, and pharmacology;
Content based on scientific studies, experience reports, and community knowledge.

5. Online Forums – Reddit and Drugs Forum

Spaces for discussion and sharing experiences, useful for learning about new substances and less documented combinations. As these are open forums, the content is not always verified. It should be read with caution and cross-checked with reliable sources:

Reddit: communities such as r/Drugs and r/ResearchChemicals.
Drugs Forum: drugs-forum.com

Includes:

Personal accounts of consumption experiences;
Discussions on risk reduction practices;
Updates on new substances in circulation.