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You inject - but that doesn’t mean that you want to encourage others to do the same.

Without meaning to, that’s exactly what you could be doing by:

  • talking about injecting to non-injectors;
     
  • injecting in front of non-injectors; and
     
  • giving people their first hit.

Think back to your own first hit.

Remember what influenced you to begin injecting. If you don’t want to encourage others to start then:

  • don’t talk about injecting to them or in front of them;
     
  • don’t inject in front of them;

and if someone asks you to give them their first hit:

  • have a plan for what you could say;
     
  • think about the risks to you - if they overdose you could end up in prison; and
     
  • think about the risks to them - such as overdose, hepatitis and HIV.

Remember that refusing to inject someone is doing them a favour - even if they don’t see it like that at the time.

Think about it... help break the cycle.

In Queensland, for further information on helping prevent initiation to injecting contact the Alcohol and Drug Information Service on (07) 3236 2414 or regional freecall on 1800 177 833.

Below is the information the briefing paper gives to pharmacists to support the text on the calendar card.
It will hopefully be of interest both to professionals and injecting drug users.

We live in a ‘needle phobic’ culture, and the process that leads drug users to decide to inject drugs is one that has been investigated.

Qualitative research has revealed that, for most injectors, it is not just ‘peer pressure.’

The factors that most commonly trigger transition to injecting have been found to be:

  • seeing people inject;
     
  • talking to injectors about injecting; and
     
  • knowing someone who will give them the first ‘hit.’

Furthermore, just as smokers tend not to want to encourage non-smokers to start, there is a strong cultural norm amongst injectors that they shouldn’t encourage non-injectors to start.

The information on this month’s card seeks to build on this by reducing behaviours that might inadvertently encourage people to start injecting, i.e.:

  • injecting in front of non-injectors;
     
  • talking to non-injectors about injecting; and
     
  • saying yes to giving someone their first hit.

This is important because:

  • injecting is by far the most dangerous form of drug use;
     
  • many injectors are aware of the influence other injectors had on their own decision to start injecting;
     
  • it can reduce the number of times injectors get asked to give people their first hit;
     
  • studies have shown that it can reduce the number of people starting to inject;
     
  • most injectors don’t want to encourage people to start injecting; and
     
  • many injectors are not fully aware of the risks they take when giving people their first hit.

Key intervention points
When speaking with injectors about initiation into injecting, it is important to be sensitive. Discussing these issues is about helping people change things for the future - not making them feel bad about the past.

Ask injectors if the factors on the card bear any relation to their own initiation to injecting and whether they think that they will be able to encourage others not to inject in front of non-injectors.

In terms of not talking about injecting to non-injectors, reinforce the point that even if they try to be balanced about it, all people hear is the description of the hit and this encourages them to try it.

When discussing the issue of refusing to give a first injection, encourage people to think of a set of standard responses to requests such as:

  • ‘I never do it for someone else’ or
     
  • ‘it’s too much responsibility.’

Further reading
Hunt, N., Derricott, J., Preston, A. & Stillwell, G. (2001). Break the Cycle: Preventing initiation into injecting (Second Edition). London: Exchange Campaigns. www.exchangesupplies.org

Roberts, S. & Williams, M. (2001). Hepatitis C and Non-Injecting Routes of Drug Administration (NIROA) Pilot Project 1999-2000 Logan City: Youth and Family Service Inc.

Williams, M. (2000). Speeding around slow bends: young people’s initiation into injecting drug use: issues for hepatitis C education. Brisbane: Queensland Intravenous AIDS Association.

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