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Safer Injection

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  1. Supervised Injection Sites
    Needle exchange vs needle distribution?
  2. What are supervised injection sites?
  3. Will I get in trouble?
  4. What services are available?
  5. How does it work?
  6. Do I have to go to treatment if I use a SIS?
  7. Is all my information confidential?
  8. What is in it for me?
  9. Where can I access SISs?
  10. Drug Checking
    Why should I check my drugs?
  11. What is Fentanyl?
  12. Where can I check my drugs?
  13. What if I can't always get my drugs checked?
  14. Safer Injection
    What if I don't want to use an SIS?
  15. What if I only share needles with people I trust?
  16. How can I use safer with a group?
  17. What are the risks?
  18. How can I avoid getting an infection?
  19. How does withdrawal effect my ability to inject?
  20. What if I mix drugs?
  21. Things to keep in mind
  22. How do I inject in a safer way?
    How do you prepare before injecting?
  23. What if I’m crushing and adding water to my drugs?
  24. What are the different ways to inject?
  25. Where should I inject?
  26. How do I take care of my veins?
  27. Putting it all together
  28. Self Harm / Suicide
  29. FAQ
    Frequently Asked Questions

Activities

Safer Injection What are the different ways to inject?
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Lesson 24 of 29
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What are the different ways to inject?

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There are three main ways of injecting:

1. Intravenous

Through the vein Always inject in the direction of the heart. Never inject into a pulse. A pulse means an artery.

Risks: There is high risk of gangrene if you inject into a pulse/an artery. Recommended needle size: Baby brown for hands and feet. Brown and diabetic for arms. (Ask staff for more information)

2. Subcutaneous

Just under the skin The drug is slower to take effect when you use this way, so be patient. It is suitable for shortterm use only. Very important to rotate the injecting sites.

Risks: It can cause abscess and infections easily. May lead to lumps and bumps and long-term damage.

Recommended needle size: Diabetic.

3. Intramuscular

Into the muscle The drug is slower to take effect when you use this method. It is not a good choice for using a lot.

Risks: This can leave the muscle sore and stiff. Deep painful abscesses.

Recommended Needle Size: Green and Blue. Depends on your muscle mass. Ask staff.

What is the difference between a vein and artery?

Make sure you know the difference between a vein and artery! You always want to inject into a vein and never into an artery.

Veins have no pulse, and the blood they carry is a deep, dark red because it is low in oxygen. Arteries carry blood rich in oxygen from the lungs and heart to all the other parts of the body.

You’ll know if you hit an artery if:

  • the plunger of your syringe is forced back by the pressure of the blood.
  • when you register, the blood in your syringe is bright red, frothy, and ‘gushing.’ Blood in veins is dark red, slow-moving, and “lazy.”
  • you feel an electric “burn” along your limb.

You can avoid it by:

  • never injecting where you feel a pulse.
  • injecting only into surface veins and not trying to hit those that lie deeper.

What to do if you hit an artery:

  • untie your tourniquet and pull your needle out immediately.
  • raise the limb above your head to stop the bleeding, if possible.
  • apply firm pressure to the wound for at least 10 minutes.
  • if bleeding continues, apply a bandage or cloth wrapped very tightly around the wound and seek medical attention immediately. The loss of blood from hitting an artery can be life-threatening if it’s not stopped.