Injecting Advice

A Response to Media Reports of Drug Litter

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The following 'harm reduction response' has been inspired by UnitingCare ReGen's proactive response to negative media reports of needles/syringes in community settings. This 'letter' provides a template for similar action by relevant bodies based in the UK (harm reduction agencies, drug and alcohol workers, drug users).

Taking Stock: Surveying Needle & Syringe Programmes in England

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Earlier this month, the National Needle Exchange Forum (NNEF), the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and the newly formed Public Health England (PHE) announced a country-wide survey of needle and syringe programmes – the first in this country for eight years. This survey will provide the most complete picture possible in terms of service coverage, quality, interventions and equipment, and models (such as specialist fixed sites, pharmacy programmes, mobile units and outreach). But the survey will only work if people take part – so please take the time to contribute to this important work.

New Low Dead Space Kit

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:04:04 GMT

Although there has been research around the benefits of Low Dead Space (LDS) injecting equipment for a number of years there has been an increasing interest in it recently. Even the New York Times has featured articles on the subject. So it's clear that now is the ideal time for some innovation in the development of injecting kit.

Careful Words on Common Ground

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:20:03 GMT

Over the last 6-7 years, in my role as a university-based researcher, I have been given privileged access to a number of Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) throughout England. Throughout this time, a large number of organisations and individuals have assisted me in carrying out research concerning injecting drug use that takes place in public settings (such as toilets, car parks, green areas, derelict property etc). This assistance has permitted me to carry out observational research within NSP, to make contact with injecting drug users regarding their experiences of public injecting drug use and to identify harms associated with this practice. From this work I have been able to make a number of harm reduction recommendations regarding the harm production effect of public injecting drug use.

Check those warnings

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 11:56:28 GMT

We're living in a world where we have access to instant communications, couple this with busy workloads and tools to speed up that communication and it's no great surprise that a warning you receive will often be sent off to others without you checking out the details (or in a lot of cases without it even being read) Someone is always sending out warnings in this world. But this is a problem...

About the Naloxone Film

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:06:25 GMT

Last May I uploaded a film to YouTube staring my daughter Emily responding to an overdose her teddy bear had. Although it was only a couple of minutes long it seemed to have a real impact on people. So back in September I gave a talk about the film at the Hot Topics conference in Liverpool this included a second interview with Emily as well as outtakes from the original.

Although many of the presentations given that day were filmed this one of mine wasn't because it was part of the 'Unconference' so I decided to make this short film so more people would be able to see what I was talking about (and of course see the outtakes).

OD12 Infogram

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 10:49:09 GMT

August 31st every year is International Overdose Awareness Day, and as any regular reader of this site knows for the last two years that's mean't a busy day on Twitter (See the OD10 report) with overdose awareness activists using the platform to help make an impact. Things have come a long way over those two years though and the numbers for this year make very interesting reading.

IV use of Mephedrone

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:59:00 GMT

As I'm sure most people who read this site will know Mephedrone has been around for a few years now and it is one of the wide range of new and emerging drugs, some legal, some not that people are experimenting with, using recreationally or in some cases developing a dependency on.

One of the questions and fears that has been around has been which of these, if any, will people inject and what will be the consequences and risks if they do.

Interview with Dr. Gabor Maté

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 22:16:56 GMT

Adrienne Hurst from the 'All Treatment' site recently got in touch with me to ask if I'd seen her interview with Dr. Gabor Maté about his work at the Insite Supervised Injecting Facility and his book 'In the Realm of the Hungry Ghosts' (which by the way is a fantastic read about his time at Insite). Adrienne has been kind enough to allow me to reprint her interview here for you all to see.

Legal Highs, Injecting is No Surprise

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 11:51:10 GMT

Years ago when I started doing harm reduction work it was a very different drug landscape, heroin was the main drug used by people coming into services (after alcohol of course) Most injectors I saw used heroin, and possibly the occasional 'treat' of a rock of crack. Of course there where also people injecting steroids and the occasional amphetamine injector but these where far less common. Now though we have the rise of the legal high...