The injection of methadone syrup in New South Wales: patterns of use and increased harm after partial banning of injecting equipment

• Published in: Australian and New Zealand journal of public health 2003-10, Vol.27 (5), p.551-555
• Main Authors: Hopwood, Max, Southgate, Erica, Kippax, Susan, Bammer, Gabriele, Isaac‐Toua, Geetha, MacDonald, Margaret
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Adolescent; Adult; Alcohol; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dilution; Drug use; Drugs; Equipment Reuse; Female; Hepatitis C; Heroin; Heroin Dependence - drug therapy; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Injection; Injections - utilization; Male; Methadone; Methadone - administration & dosage; Middle Aged; Narcotics; Needle Sharing - statistics & numerical data; Needle-Exchange Programs - utilization; New South Wales; Public spaces; Risk behavior; Risk taking; Sex Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - epidemiology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Syringes; Syringes - classification; Syringes - supply & distribution; Syrup
• ISSN: 1326-0200; 1753-6405
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-842X.2003.tb00832.x

Objective: To describe methadone injectors and the risk practices associated with injecting methadone in New South Wales, Australia. To assess the impact on injecting drug use and risk behaviour of the withdrawal of methadone injecting equipment from government‐funded needle and syringe programs. Method: Cross‐sectional survey, conducted in 1999, of 206 people who had injected methadone at least once in the previous month. Participants were from Central Sydney, West Sydney and rural New South Wales. Results: Of participants who had injected both methadone and other drugs in the previous month (n=162), significantly more reused their methadone injecting equipment compared with those who reused their other drug injecting equipment (60% vs. 28%, p