Beforehand

 

Just prior to injecting, young people can be exposed to a number of risks such as not having sourced clean equipment before scoring, using locations that are dangerous, and using when overly agitated, withdrawn, or depressed. 

Scoring

Issues

  • Not having clean equipment prior to scoring
  • Obtaining drugs but not having any clean injecting equipment can cause problems.  It increases the risk of sharing or reusing old equipment

Strategies

Encourage the young person to:

  • Obtain clean equipment before scoring
  • Maintain a supply of clean equipment
  • Not wait until they are about to use before obtaining equipment
  • Link to Needle and Syringe Exchange Program
Finding a space

Issues

  • Is the space the young person injects safe?
  • Using alone increases risk of undetected overdose
  • Injecting in public areas they are more likely to be rushed and make mistakes

Strategies

  • Where is the young person planning on injecting?
  • Do they have a space where they will not be interrupted?
  • Is it somewhere clean, where they can wash before using?
Personal preparation

Issues

Young people who are in withdrawal, feeling edgy or ‘strung out’ or have you been drinking or using other substances may have impaired decision making. The setting and the mood a young person is in at the time of injecting can adversely impact on the drug experience, and can even contribute to overdose.

Strategies

Ask the young person:

  • ‘What else have you used?  How do you feel?’
  • Encourage them to not rush

Support the young person to:

  • Choose their own space and company if they can
  • Plan when are going to use to avoid struggling when they’re withdrawing
  • Get to know their triggers
  • Avoid injecting when drunk (or otherwise intoxicated); it increases the risk of poor injecting and accidents
  • Use less or don’t use if they have been using other drugs
  • Be especially wary of injecting when feeling depressed, ill or run-down