Wipe the injection site once with a new swab.

Place the tourniquet around your upper arm (or above the injection site). Don't leave it on too long. If you have trouble finding a vein, release the tourniquet and try again. Running warm water over the injection site will help raise a vein. So will opening and closing your hand in a pumping action.

Try not to touch anything that hasn't been cleaned until you have finished injecting. Put the needle into your arm at a 45-degree angle, with the hole facing up. Blood will sometimes appear in the barrel when the needle is inserted in the vein.

Pull back (jack back) slightly the plunger and blood should appear. If there is still no visible blood in the fit, remove the tourniquet and then the needle from your arm, apply pressure (using a cotton ball, tissue or toilet paper) to stop any bleeding, take a deep breath and start again.

When you are sure the needle is in the vein, loosen the tourniquet and slowly depress the plunger. If you feel any resistance or pain, you may have missed the vein and will need to start again.

After injecting, remove the needle, keep your arm straight, and apply pressure to the injection site for a couple of minutes (using a cotton ball, tissue or toilet paper). Don't use a swab to stop the bleeding, it may in fact stop the blood clotting.

Injecting over a long period of time can result in:

• Blocked blood vessels (caused by things mixed or cut with the drugs)
• Inflamed blood vessels and abscesses
• Damage to vital organs such as the liver, heart or lungs
• Periods of psychosis

Injecting may also increase the risk of becoming dependent on the drug and thereby expose you to serious mental health problems.