Cristiana Vale Pires, MSc, PhD, is a founder member of Kosmicare and a researcher and lecturer collaborating at the Research Centre for Human Development (CEDH) of the Faculty of Education Psychology of the Catholic University of Portugal. She has vast experience in collaborating and coordinating European and national research and community-based projects and harm reduction services in the fields of drug use in social and nightlife and festival environments, sex work, chemsex and sexualized drug uses, gender-responsive models of care and psychological support in drug intervention. Cristiana collaborated also as a consultant and external expert at EMCDDA and Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe and she is a member of the European Group on Gender and Drugs, European Chemsex Forum, NEWNET and at the International Night Studies Network.

Cristiana’s presentation will focus on drug use among LGBTQIA+ people, discussing gaps, needs and innovative approaches in terms of drug monitoring and response. Data from a gender analysis based on the experiences of a group of non-binary people who responded to the EMCDDA´s European Websurvey on Drugs will be presented. In addition, emerging models of care, safe(r) spaces and harm reduction approaches that are responsive to diversity and to the specific needs of LGBTQIA+ people who use drugs in nightlife and other social and other environments will also be presented.