Injecting & Being Injected
Injecting in different settings

If you are injecting - it is safer to do it yourself if you can. You then have power over of the situation. You can include safer injecting practices like being hygene aware, and can stop if you feel something is wrong.

• Make sure all the injecting equipment is new - new fits, water, bag, spoon, filter and tourniquet.
• Have all your own injecting equipment and mix up your own taste/hit - even if someone else is helping you inject.
• Try and stay calm and still - it'll greatly improve chances of hitting a vein and stop a lot of unnecessary vein damage and scarring.
• Some questions you could ask someone before they hit you up;
  1. How long have you been injecting and have you hit up anyone before?
  2. Can you please wash your hands before you inject me?
  3. Do you always use clean fits or freshies?
  4. When you're hitting someone up how do you check that the needle is in a vein?
• If the injector's had numerous goes and can't get a vein, change the fit for a new one. It's a hassle at the time but it can save your veins and reduce a lot of scarring. It can also stop infections or other medical complications.
• If someone else helps you inject, always re-cap your own used fit and dispose of it correctly into a sharp safe, black box/fit pack or a rigid container like a drink can or jar.
• If you feel any pain at all, tell the person to stop injecting you immediately.
• If there is a group using, try and clear some space so you're not being overcrowded, or if someone walks past, they don't accidentally knock you. Have as much light as possible so you can see what you're doing.

Injecting Others

Did you know that if you inject others and something goes wrong (i.e. an overdose or an adverse reaction like a psychotic episode) that you can be held responsible? There have been court cases where a friend was just helping another friend who couldn't inject themselves because of bad veins. The friend unfortunately overdosed and died. The person that injected them was charged.

If you're going to inject someone else, make sure you're an experienced injector and confident about injecting others. Some users have very small or bad veins and it's easy to pop them (miss the vein and inject into the tissue or muscle). This could lead to an infection like an abscess or septicaemia.

It's always good to know how much the person usually needs or what's their tolerance to the drug. This can be very hard to judge because the look and weight can vary a lot. Let the person being injected be the judge, remembering that it's better to have too little than too much.

Some users have very few options for veins; they may have bad veins to start with or have collapsed most of them. They may ask you to go for their hands, feet, fingers, neck or the groin area. These are tricky areas and are not recommended for use. If you are injecting in any of these areas, remember to always inject towards the heart otherwise there could be problems with the blood leaking into the hands or feet. It may cause a limb to die or get infected (like gangrene or septicaemia). Be careful of arteries. You'll know if you hit in an artery because it can be quite painful and the blood is usually bright red and frothy.

Always keep in mind that anyone can overdose with speed. Heart attacks, strokes and convulsions are the most common form of overdose with speed and cocaine. So look out if someone is complaining of heart pains, palpitations or showing any adverse reactions. They may be having an overdose.

If you think an overdose is occurring apply first aid and ring an ambulance as soon as possible. It is always best to tell the ambulance officers (ambos) what the person has taken so they know how to treat them. REMEMBER - Police will not come to a drug related (overdose) call, unless there is risk of violence or other danger or if specifically called.

Remember to:

• Wash your hands including under your nails and the injecting surface.
• Make sure all the injecting equipment is new and if possible get the person being injected to open the sterile packets themselves. It's always best for users to have all their own injecting equipment.
• It's always best for the person having the hit to sit down. This helps keep them still while being injecting and if something goes wrong - they are less likely to hurt themselves (like if they drop).
• Once you've given the hit, make sure you always place the used fit into a sharp safe or similar puncture proof container immediately. Never replace the cap of someone else's fit.