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Conference 2025

Liverpool, 31 Oct

Frightfully Effective:
Harm Reduction Saves Lives

Conference date: 31 October 2025
Venue: Liverpool Hilton Hotel

Welcome to the Halloween Harm Reduction Conference, where we brewed up bold ideas, transformative conversations, and a hauntingly good lineup of speakers! This year, we brought together advocates, experts, and frontline workers for a conference packed with insightful sessions and community-building side events.

Our speaker lineup helped make the gathering truly unforgettable. Whether you came to learn, connect, or take more direct action, we hope it gave you something valuable to take forward.

Featured speaker:

Leo Jefferys

Leo Jefferys
Leo is an independent harm reduction consultant and drug user activist working with the European Network of People who Use Drugs. They worked in frontline harm reduction on Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh territories, colonially known as Vancouver, BC, Canada for 15 years, working everything from overnight shelter shifts to assertive community treatment teams to human resources and hiring.

Side Events

Because a conference is about connecting

As always with our conference we arrange side events both the evening before and the evening of the conference. We know from speaking to you all every year that these are some of the most important social times of the year and often are the only times we get to be around so many like-minded people.

Harm Reduction Cafe

Liverpool, venue: Revolución de Cuba, Unit 17 Albert Dock L3 4AF
Thursday 30 October, 7.30pm-midnight

Harm reduction’s wilderness years seemed to be coming to an end. With renewed attention on harm reduction and major shifts in the drugs market on the horizon, it was the right moment to come together and organise around practical, grounded approaches.

For us, the café events were where we knew we were among friends and part of a community.

Cavern Club (Live Lounge)

Cavern Club (Live Lounge) – 10 Mathew St, Liverpool L2 6RE
Friday 31 October, 7.30pm-late

Our annual Cavern Club charity event is where the HIT team finally get to relax and enjoy ourselves. Always featuring the Sensational HIT Soul Band and one or two other invited bands, this is a night of music in one of the most famous venues in the world. We know that for many people who come to our conference each year this is the highlight of the events!
  • 20:00
    Calico Moon
  • 21:00
    Tosin Trio
  • 22:00
    Sensational HIT Soul Band

Speakers

The “treats” in Trick or Treat

The magic was brewing, and we conjured up an incredible lineup of speakers for this year’s Halloween Harm Reduction Conference. We unveiled a spellbinding roster of experts, advocates, and changemakers who shared insights, strategies, and stories that inspired.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scary tricks:
  • Policy decisions based on inaccurate data inadvertently increase health risks for vulnerable people.
  • An environment of stigmatisation discourages individuals from seeking help.
  • Treating drug use as a crime only deepens social problems.
  • Excessive surveillance in healthcare settings risks undermining trust, deterring those in need of care.
  • A lack of community outreach might increase isolation for those needing support.
  • The rise of powerful drugs could overwhelm community health services quickly.
  • The unchecked spread of synthetic opioids could soon overwhelm community health services, putting lives at grave risk.
  • Without a radical overhaul of sentencing laws, the UK's prison system is a revolving door for drug-related offenses.
  • Misinformation about drug use can spark public panic and lead to harmful policy choices.
  • Stigmatising language makes it harder for people to feel safe asking for support.
  • Ignoring harm reduction in policy could leave neighbourhoods vulnerable to new infections.
Lovely treats:
  • Humour and solidarity in activist circles remind us that even in dark times, community spirit can shine through.
  • Community-led safe supply initiatives are proving that pragmatic drug policy can save lives. We need these in the UK.
  • Peer support groups are building networks of hope and understanding.
  • Safe injection sites offer safe spaces where people feel supported and respected.
  • Focusing on support over punishment gives people a chance to rebuild their lives.
  • Successes in overdose prevention prove that small changes can make a big difference.
  • Embracing safe injection sites can the tide against stigma, proving public health can prevail over prejudice.
Trick or Treat