Switching IDUs from injecting to "chasing" for HIV prevention

One of the new frontiers of harm reduction is "RTIs", or Route Transition Interventions - projects to help drug users switch to less risky forms of drug use, or to reduce initiation of risky forms of drug use.

PSI is on the forfront of this work with our efforts in C. Asia to reduce IDU initiation among youth.

Below is a fascinating intervention to encourage IDUs to move to "smoking" (AKA "Chasing the Dragon) heroin, a much less risky form of opiate administration.

Our harm reduction programs should be considering if this kind of work is appropriate for our different environments.

Rob

---------

Distributing foil from needle and syringe programmes (NSPs) to promote transitions from heroin injecting to chasing: an evaluation
The report presents evaluation results from an intervention using specially produced foil packs to promote a transition from heroin injecting to inhalation (chasing) with injecting drug users (IDUs) attending four needle and syringe programmes (NSPs) in south west England [Harm Reduction Journal]

http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/5/1/24