There are many things that we can do to take care of ourselves and reduce the risks associated with using drugs.
Avoid Overdose
- Don’t use alone if you can. If you are using alone, try a test shot or call someone—like Never Use Alone or the BRAVE app to connect, by voice, to a person who will stay on the call with you until you’re safe.
- Test your drugs for fentanyl, benzodiazepine, xylazine and medetomidine. Learn how to use test strips.
- Remember the 4 S’s: SNORT, SMOKE or SLOWLY inject to SAMPLE a new batch.
- Carry naloxone and know how to use naloxone. After giving naloxone, check that the person is breathing and continue to monitor them closely, as they may remain unconscious.
- Sedatives such as xylazine and medetomidine are increasingly found in the drug supply. Naloxone will not reverse these drugs, but it should still be given in case opioids are present. After administering naloxone, check that the person is breathing and provide rescue breaths if needed.
Avoid Infections
- Know where to inject—check out our Safer Injection quick guide below.
- Use new, sterile needles each time you inject. Remember that insulin syringes develop a burr after a single use. New needles pierce, while old needles tear, which increases the risk of infection.
- Use sterile water if possible to mix your drugs.
Avoid HIV and Hepatitis C
- Have your own rigs and equipment.
- Use a new needle for splitting drugs.
- Use condoms and practice safer sex.
We can look at each step of preparing and using drugs and find ways to make it safer.
Safer Smoking Tips
- Fentanyl, xylazine, benzodiazepine and medetomidine have been found in the drug supply and fatal overdose is a real risk. Use test strips to identify any presence.
- Avoid overamping. Don’t mix your drug with other uppers or drugs like Viagra.
- Don’t share straws for snorting. Snorting can irritate your nose, damage tissue and cause nosebleeds. If blood gets on the straw, hepatitis C can be passed to the next person who uses it
Safer Injection Tips
- Rotate injection sites. Using the same spot repeatedly can damage veins, build scar tissue and cause infections.
- Help reduce your risk of infections by washing your hands before prepping your drugs. Germs and bacteria on your hands can contaminate anything you touch.
- Viruses such as HIV, hepatitis B and C can be spread through sharing not only needles but also cottons, tourniquets, cookers and rinse water. Mark your works so that they don’t get mixed up with someone else’s.
- Cotton is used to help filter out particles that don’t dissolve in water. It also helps to protect the tip of the needle. A new cotton for each shot for each person is best.
- Cotton fever is a result of bacteria growth on used cottons. If you reuse your cottons, try freezing them to kill bacteria. However, know that freezing cottons will not kill all bacteria, and when they thaw, the bacteria can multiply.
- Cookers (caps) are used for mixing and cooking your shot. Keep your cooker as level as possible and pay attention to where your cooker is in the process to avoid spilling your shot.
- Sometimes searching for a vein, especially if you’re in withdrawal, makes the process more stressful. Snort a small amount of your drug to take the edge off.
- Tying off the vein restricts the flow of blood and helps to make the vein more visible. Try not to leave the tie on too long. If you notice the loss of sensation in your limb or your skin turning blue/gray, remove the tie immediately.
- Cleaning the injection site before injecting will reduce the risk of infection. Wash the area with soap and water then wipe with an alcohol pad moving outwards from the center. Allow the area to dry before injecting.
- Fentanyl, xylazine, benzodiazepine and medetomidine test strips are moisture sensitive: do not open the package until ready to test your shot.
- Use bleach to clean needles, syringes, cookers and surfaces where drugs are prepared. This may reduce the risk of HIV and hepatitis C but doesn’t eliminate it. When using bleach to clean your syringes, make sure that the outside of the needle is submerged into the bleach and rinsed off as well.
- Dispose of syringes safely after one use. Place them in a sharps container or another container like an empty bleach or laundry detergent bottle. Keep all used syringes and needles away from other people.
Our Safer Injection Quick Guide below shows you how to choose a safer injection area. Remember to rotate sites regularly.
You deserve to be healthy. Contact us at 513.399.6969 to learn more.