OR09-4 * Script in a Day (Scid) Intervention for Individuals Who Are Injecting Opiates: Results from a Mixed Methods Feasibility Randomised Control Trial (original) (raw)
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One hundred and twenty-five patients prescribed injectable opiates in the North West of England
Drug and Alcohol Review, 2001
This study describes the demographics, drug-using history, current prescription, current illicit drug use, injecting practice and opinion of treatment of 125 patients prescribed injectable opiates at a clinic in the North West of England. The prescribing policy at the clinic has resulted in maintenance treatment with several opiate drugs, dominated by injectable methadone and injectable diamorphine (heroin). Injectable methadone (85.6% (107/125)) was more frequently prescribed than injectable diamorphine (12.8% (16/125)). Injectable heroin was desired by many who were prescribed injectable methadone, since it was the current drug of choice for 50.4% of the sample (61/121). The patient cohort gave a history of risky drug use in the past, both with regard to immediate physical health and blood borne viruses. Current self-reported risk behaviour for blood-borne viruses was low. Twenty-five percent (29/121) of patients continued to use street heroin, of whom only four did so on a daily basis. This patient cohort has very low levels of daily illicit drug use; 40.5% (49/121) of patients currently used their femoral veins to inject, a practice which highlights the difficult risk benefit analysis which is inherent in injectable prescribing. [Sell L, Segar G, Merrill J. One hundred and twenty-five patients prescribed injectable opiates in the North West of England.
R SMOKE IT! Promoting a change of opiate consumption pattern -from injecting to inhaling
Background: Intravenous drug use has been predominantly practised since illegal heroin use became known in Germany in the early 1970s. The available data suggest that the risk of accidental overdose when smoking heroin is substantially reduced compared to injecting a substance of unknown purity and quality. Moreover, the risk of transmitting HIV, Hepatitis B or C via blood contact is considerably reduced when smoking heroin rather than when injecting it intravenously. In spite of the significant strain on the lungs and the respiratory tract caused by smoking, it can be concluded that inhalative use -measured by the indicators 'overdose' and 'viral infections' is considerably less dangerous than intravenous use. Despite these harm-reducing effects of inhalative use, there is only very limited scientific survey on this subject. The project 'SMOKE IT!' studied to what extent a change of the consumption method can be supported by making new equipment for drug use available.
SMOKE IT! Promoting a change of opiate consumption pattern - from injecting to inhaling
Harm reduction journal, 2014
Intravenous drug use has been predominantly practised since illegal heroin use became known in Germany in the early 1970s. The available data suggest that the risk of accidental overdose when smoking heroin is substantially reduced compared to injecting a substance of unknown purity and quality. Moreover, the risk of transmitting HIV, Hepatitis B or C via blood contact is considerably reduced when smoking heroin rather than when injecting it intravenously. In spite of the significant strain on the lungs and the respiratory tract caused by smoking, it can be concluded that inhalative use - measured by the indicators 'overdose' and 'viral infections' is considerably less dangerous than intravenous use. Despite these harm-reducing effects of inhalative use, there is only very limited scientific survey on this subject. The project 'SMOKE IT!' studied to what extent a change of the consumption method can be supported by making new equipment for drug use available....
International Journal of Drug Policy, 2005
It is tradition for ICRDRH conference reports to begin with several comments on the size and scope of the event (see, e.g., , and this year's report will not depart from this tradition. As a single delegate it was only ever possible to glimpse a tiny fraction of what occurred over the 5 days. The conference handbook listed over 500 papers, presented across 70 sessions. In addition, over 150 posters were also on display (Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, 2005).