SUPPORT & EDUCATION FOR HIV, HEPATITIS & STIs

Information & Resources

Safer Drug Use

We realize that abstinence (quitting using substance altogether) isn’t realistic, possible or desirable for everyone. We seek to meet people where they are at and to offer the information and resources needed to minimize the potential harms associated with using substances.

We believe that people who use substances should have access to information to make informed decisions about their health and deserve the same respect and treatment as non-substance users.

Some activities associated with drug use can put us at an increased risk for getting HIV and Hepatitis C. While using substances, we could be providing an easy route for HIV and/or Hepatitis C to get directly into our blood stream through our veins (by injecting), or through sores or tears in the soft linings of our mouth and nose (smoking and snorting). Using substances can also lower our capacity to make decisions, and with lowered inhibitions we may take more or increased risks than we would otherwise not. We might not practice safer sex when using,or we might not be able to correctly use a condom. This can put us at risk for HIV and/or Hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted infections.

Depending on the substance and method of use, there are different ways of reducing your risk of HIV and/or Hepatitis C.

symbol online

Ally Centre Of Cape Breton: https://www.allycentreofcapebreton.com/

Northern Healthy Connections Society: https://nhcsociety.ca/

Mainline Needle Exchange: https://mainlineneedleexchange.ca/

Direction 180: https://direction180.ca/

Harm Reduction: https://www.catie.ca/prevention-harm-reduction/general-harm-reduction

Safer Injecting & Smoking Supplies: https://www.catie.ca/prevention-prevention-methods/safer-injecting-and-smoking-supplies

Information On Substances: https://www.catie.ca/prevention-harm-reduction/information-on-substances

Safer snorting

Make sure to take good care of your nose when you’re snorting. Snorting can irritate the soft tissues inside your nose, and cause sores and tears. Rinsing your nose before and after snorting with a bit of water or saline can help keep your nasal passages moist, and move the substance through your nose.

Sharing straws for snorting can put you at risk for HIV and Hepatitis C. To make snorting safer, use your own straws and mark them so you know which ones belong to you. Some people like to mark their equipment with a string, an elastic band, lipstick or markers.

It’s important to know that these practices can help reduce your risk of HIV and/or Hepatitis C, but they will not eliminate the risk entirely.

The Hep C Handbook: Hep C, safer drug use, tattooing and piercing: http://librarypdf.catie.ca/ATI-70000s/70224.pdf

Safer Snorting: http://librarypdf.catie.ca/ATI-70000s/70220.pdf

Safer Swallowing: http://ohrn.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Connecting_Section3_Safer-Snorting-Swallowing_Pg78-81.pdf

Safer smoking

Take good care of your lips when smoking with a pipe. Smoking drugs can dry out your lips and cause them to crack or burn, which can provide an easy entry for someone else’s blood to get into your body, putting you at risk for HIV and Hepatitis C. To be safer while smoking, have your own pipe and don’t share with others. Some people like to mark their equipment with a string, an elastic band, lipstick or markers so they know what one is theirs.

If you have to share, try to get your own mouthpiece. Use lip balm or Vaseline on your lips before and while smoking to keep them from cracking and burning. Make sure to let the pipe to cool before using it again to avoid burning yourself.

Talk to your local needle exchange or AIDS Service Organization about a safer smoking or crack kit. They may be able to help you with some new pipes, screens or mouthpieces.

It’s important to know that these practices can help reduce your risk of HIV and/or Hepatitis C, but they will not eliminate the risk entirely.

Safer Crack Smoking: http://librarypdf.catie.ca/ATI-70000s/70216.pdf

Safer Crystal Meth Smoking: http://librarypdf.catie.ca/ATI-70000s/70218.pdf

Safer injecting

Injecting into your vein (intravenous injection) is the most direct way to get drugs into your system, but it also comes with the most health risks. Higher rates of HIV and Hep C transmissions, as well as damage to your veins is often seen in those that inject substances. People who inject substances can get abcesses, cellulitis, phlebitis (inflammation of the vein) and endocarditis (inflammation of the heart membrane). Those things can lead to further complications.

Here are some tips to avoid these infections, and to keep your veins intact:

1) Always use a new needle, never share used needles, or clean and re-use needles! The needle needs to be sharp and new as it is easier on your veins and helps prevent the spread of infections. The entire contents of the cooker, the filter, vial of water, tourniquet and the needle should be thrown out after use in a designated sharps container. Injection supplies and disposal can be found at your closest community needle exchange or harm reduction centre (Mainline Needle Exchange or Direction 180, in Halifax, N.S.).

There is also the Peer N Peer program at the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia. To fill out an order form, click here.

2) Use your own gear, don't share with others, and follow steps for safer injecting to lower your chance of damaging your veins and getting bacterial infections or viruses that are passed through the blood, like Hepatitis B, C, and HIV. See a safer injecting guide here.

3) Reduce the chance of a fatal overdose by not using alone. Carry naloxone (opioid antidote) and known how to use it and let others know you have it. If you are alone, you can call The National Overdose Response Service (NORS), which is a convenient and confidential 24/7 virtual safe consumption hotline, available anywhere in Canada - 1-888-688-6677.

4) Start low, go slow. Use a small test dose first. Know the source of your drugs and inject yourself. Control of your own use by learning to inject yourself safely.

5) Alternate from one arm to the other to change veins. Your arms are the safest places to inject. However, if you have to inject into other sites like your feet, hands, breast, groin, or your neck, take extra caution with these sites. There are arteries there that increase the risk of bleeding out, or smaller veins that are more likely to burst or become shallow and unusable.

6) Use a double filtration system if you are injecting drugs that come in a pill format. This can help you avoid injecting larger chunks of the substance into your veins.

7) Use an intramuscular injection needle to inject intramuscular substances (hormones, ketamine, naloxone). The needles are bigger than a usual intravenous needle. Instructions for intramuscular injections can be found here:

For local resources about safer injecting you can call:
Mainline Needle Exchange in Halifax (902) 423-9991
Northern Healthy Connections Society in Truro (902) 895-0931
Sharp Advice Needle Exchange in Cape Breton (902) 539-5556.

If you live in the HRM you can also reach out to North End Community Health Centre at https://nechc.com/

Choosing a safer injection site: http://librarypdf.catie.ca/pdf/ATI-70000s/70162.pdf

Sharp Shooters: http://librarypdf.catie.ca/ATI-70000s/70222.pdf

HIV and Drug Injection: http://librarypdf.catie.ca/ATI-70000s/70212.pdf

Dope Guide: http://librarypdf.catie.ca/ATI-30000s/30100.pdf

Also look at these resources regarding signs of opioid and stimulant overdose:

Responding to an opioid overdose: http://librarypdf.catie.ca/ATI-70000s/70214.pdf

Nova Scotia Take-Home Naloxone: http://www.nsnaloxone.com/

How To Save A Life: http://www.nsnaloxone.com/uploads/1/1/2/0/112043611/5-steps_10769038.pdf

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