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Safe Drug Use Info
Safer Injecting - Avoiding Hep C, HIV, Abscesses and other nasties.
Mixing up and hitting up involves a number of bits and pieces of equipment and a number of steps in the process. As a result there are numerous stages where the taste can get infected or dirtied. You need to consider the whole process not just the obvious points such as the need to use your own clean needles and syringes.
This info can help you make an informed choice about the way that you use and lets you know the things that are really important to remember, including information on:
Clean equipment, general hygiene ,swabs ,spoons ,water, tourniquets, getting a vein barbed needles, clotted fits, re-using your own fits, using in groups and Vein Care
Clean equipment
Wherever possible, use all new and sterile injecting equipment. This is the ideal for every time you inject. So when you go to the NSP (in NSW exchanges are now called NSPs -Needle and Syringe Programs) try and load up on as much equipment as you can. In NSW equipment is free from NSPs so at least it won't cost you money to do so. There are sometimes reasons you end up not having enough new equipment. The laws on possessing fits in NSW are a bit confusing We've included info on bleaching and flushing below but do try and get enough clean equipment to use freshies as often as possible.
General Hygiene
Some people find it worthwhile to lay out all the equipment in the order in which they use it to make the process smoother and quicker.
Get your hands as clean as you can - to remove as much bacteria, dried blood, viruses, and dirt as possible. If you don't have access to running warm water and soap, remember to get extra swabs and use one of these for each finger (and thumb!)
Try to get your prep surface as clean as possible. Even wipe it down with warm, soapy water if it can be; or brush away any dust or dirt. This'll lessen the chance of floaties ending up in your mix. (Or put down a clean book, magazine, CD case, newspaper or the brown bag the equipment comes in.)
Swabs
Alcohol swabs clean away dirt and bacteria but not viruses like hepatitis or HIV. Clean spoons or any equipment (like pocket knives or keys) that come in contact with the drugs to be injected. Use them on the injection site to clean away dirt or bits that can enter into the bloodstream with the needle as it punctures the skin and cause nasties like abscesses, septicemia and endocardi
Use the swab on the cleaned site by wiping across the area once with a new swab. Rubbing back and forth with them spreads dirt and germs around.
Water
The ideal water to use for injection will depend on your situation. Usually the sterile water ampoules you can get in most NSPs are the safest option. This should be used for the one mix only and then discarded. Don't re-cap and put it in the fridge. This is because bacteria loves sterile water and grows very easily in it. This principle goes for all water.
When you can't get this water, use boiled water drawn up from near the surface, as heavy metals sink to the bottom and shouldn't be injected. Ideally you should try to wait until this has cooled to room temperature. This is for two reasons: Firstly; hot water going in stings and damages your veins and secondly; it can warp and expand the rubber plunger in the fit and make it stick: a real pain when you're in the middle of hitting up.
Other water such as bottled water and tap water vary from brand to brand and place to place so it is difficult to give general advice regarding this water. Some are unsafe to use due to the presence of micro-organisms, while others are okay.
Tourniquets
If you don't inject often or you rotate or vary the site of injection you may not need to use a tourniquet to get at a good vein. Whether to use a tourniquet or not is really a matter of preference. Some users, especially those with good veins, may not need to use them. Don't forget that it's easy to spread blood around using tourniquets and that you should always use only your own.
Using something soft and easy to release is handy as well, as releasing them before the shot goes in (although after the needle does) is very important.
Getting a vein
If you don't have a tourniquet there are various techniques that can be used to help veins close to the surface of the arm come up:
Clenching and re-clenching the fist
"Wind-milling" your arm
Bathing the arm in warm water or having a hot shower
Push-ups…!
Barbed / Blunt needles
If the needle on a syringe knocks against something or is used more than once, it can get barbed and hooked. This rips and tears at the sensitive veins and seriously harms them. On top of this there's a risk of ruining the hit. This is because if the needle's barbed enough the drugs may get blocked which might lead to messing around with transferring gear into a new fit during which blood might coagulate and make injecting that much more difficult.
Clotted fits
It happens. You dig around for ages until your pick is blunt and when you finally hit a vein, jack back and go for it and… it stings like fuck!! The pick's gone through or the vein's snaked away or fuck knows what but the shot's not going in…!! You try again and again and you're trying not to stress at all, but you know the fit's going to be full of clotted blood in a minute and the closer this gets the more wild the digging becomes until there's blood all over the place and you're breathing like you've run a marathon and finally it's clogged good and proper and won't squeeze through the needle!
It's a real pain but the thing to do here is to keep calm…easier said than done for sure! If you don't want to swallow the taste (no? didn't think so!) the thing to do is (after quickly cleaning up any blood running down your arm or wherever) to get the mix back in a spoon, add some water and re-filter it into a new fit.
Re-using your own fits
Try not to do it. If you do find that you are without cleans and don't have the option of obtaining any then at least clean them. Flush through with fresh water and bleach them. (For information on how to do this properly call NUAA or talk to your local NSP worker.) Make certain that the fits you re-use are definitely yours! Keep them into a container only you use. Remember that dirty tastes are far more likely when you use dirty fits. If you've ever had one, you won't want another one!
Using in groups
Blood borne viruses (BBV's) like hepatitis and HIV can be spread by traces of blood that cannot be seen by the naked eye and gets onto and into all sorts of places you might not expect. Try and be aware of this at all times, especially when using with other people.
Other routes of administration
There are risks involved no matter which way you choose to take a drug. However finding other ways to use apart from injecting can give your veins a break and make the transmission of blood borne viruses and other infections less likely.
Some of the risks associated with injecting are:
Transmission or contraction of HIV, and hepatitis B & C, vein damage, endocarditis, and septicaemia
To avoid or limit your exposure to these risks you could try snorting, swallowing, smoking or even shafting your drugs rather then injecting. How you take a drug does affect the time taken to feel the effects and whether or not you feel an immediate rush.
Snorting
Any powders can be snorted. The trick is to make sure the powder is as fine as you can get it. You can do this by chopping the powder with a razor blade or knife; make sure you refine any lumps or crystals.
Powders are usually snorted through straws or rolled up dollar bills, however sharing of these implements could potentially pass on blood borne viruses. There may be small partials of blood on these objects that you can not see.
Swallowing
All drugs can be swallowed, but some like methamphetamine have been known to upset some people's stomachs. If you find that this happens try wrapping the drug in cigarette papers before swallowing or try shafting. Swallowing heroin would be a waste of your money as you would have to swallow a hell of a lot to feel anything.
Swallowing will take quite a bit more time for the drug to affect you.
Shafting
Shafting is where you place the drug in your arse. This can be bone by wrapping the drug in cigarette papers before shafting it. It always helps to use a bit of lubricant. Pills such as ecstasy can be easily shafted without wrapping in cigarette paper. Some people have noted that this can cause a laxative effect.
This method allows the effects of the drug to be felt quicker then via the stomach (swallowing).
Smoking
You can smoke heroin, cocaine and crystal-methamphetamines.
All heroin can be smoked but brown alkaline dope is the most suitable to smoke.
Chasing the dragon is complicated especially if not using alkaline smack but some Australian users who don't want to inject "spot" - which is a method of placing bits of the drug on a piece of foil and heating from beneath with a cigarette lighter or another form of wick. The smoke is then inhaled via a straw or rolled up dollar note.
It is a lot harder to chase the dragon with methamphetamines, for when heat is applied to meth it turns to a liquid then vapour rather then smoke. Meth in it's liquid form moves away from the heat source and would be harder to manage on a foil square with out some spillage.
The effects of Smoking Crystal-meth come on just as quick or even a little bit quicker then injecting.
A glass pipe that has a bowl on the end is much more suitable to smoke meth through. As the bowl will contain the liquid form until it turns into vapour which you inhale.
Sharing of pipes, straws or rolled up nots is not advisable as there is a chance of contracting blood borne viruses. There may be small partials of blood on these objects which may cause transference of blood borne viruses.
Remember you can still overdose when using these methods
Heroin Overdose
Non fatal overdoses are common amongst heroin users. It is where someone loses consciousness and breathing slows or stops. They are lucky enough to have a friend who brings them around or who calls an ambulance in time.
Believe it or not most fatal OD's happen to people who have been using for ages and the majority occur 2 hours after the shot. Also most ODs, both fatal and non fatal occur when the person has other drugs and/or alcohol on board. So even if you're an experienced user take time to check out these tips for OD prevention.
10 tips for Heroin overdose prevention
1. If using gear from an unknown source or of unknown purity have a smaller shot at first
2. Be aware that being on treatment such as naltrexone, or periods of abstinence or reduced using can
seriously affect your tolerance
3. Never mix opiates with CNS depressants like benzos and alcohol
4. Remember that mixing any drugs is not a good idea! If mixing drugs be aware of the order in
which you take them and how long they last in your system.
5. Never use alone
6. Let someone else know where you are and what you are doing
7. Make sure that the drugs you intend to take are in fact what they are supposed to be
8. Be aware of how different drugs affect you and how long they last
9. Remember that most ODs don't happen straight after a shot
10. Look after your mates - learn first aid
Remember…
If the person has been sitting, lying or slumped in the same position for a while get them to change positions. This will make sure that they aren't cutting of circulation to any part of they body.
Check in on your mates every now and then if they are on the nod. Overdosing can happen hours after the shot.
Nodding or overdosing? Signs of a heroin overdose
It is sometimes hard to tell if someone is just on the nod or if they are overdosing. Below are a few signs of when you should call 000.
Not able to respond when you call their name or gently shake them. Try calling out Narcan, which usually gets a quick response.
Their breathing has slowed or stopped. Breathing around 4 times or less per minute is highly dangerous, call OOO!
Or in other words…
Try counting "1 cat & dog, 2 cat & dog…"till you reach "15 cat & dog" if they have not taken a breath in this time. Prod, poke and call to them to get a response if there is no response call 000.
If they are snoring or gurgling they're having trouble breathing. Get them to talk to you or change the position that they're sitting or lying in to open their air way. If possible get them to lie down in the recovery position.
Call 000, if there is no or very little response from the person.
If their lips, fingers and toes are pale or blue:
This means that there isn't enough oxygen getting into their body.
Check for breathing, put them in a position that makes breathing easier, such as the recovery position.
An overdose is not only when a person has stopped breathing.
It is always best to get help before they stop breathing.
If in doubt call 000 for an ambulance.
It is better to be safe then lose a friend. You can always cancel an ambulance if you need to.
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