Injecting drugs is risky - it is safer not to inject at all

• Sharing, lending or borrowing injecting equipment can spread HIV (AIDS), Hepatitis and other blood borne viruses
• Bad technique or dirty equipment can damage veins and cause blood poisoning and abscesses, and put your life at risk
• Different street purities or mixing drugs can cause an overdose

5 Rules of Safer Injecting

1. Always use your own equipment
   This includes:
   Needles
   Filters
   Syringes
   Water
   Spoons
   Citric Acid
   Vinegar or lemon juice
   Mixing equipment
   
   Check that the syringe and needle are new and straight from the packet. Only use them once. Don’t even share with your partner or best mate. New equipment can be bought from some chemists, or is available from free needle exchanges and most drug agencies.
   
2. Use the smallest needle possible to inject
   
3. Use the smallest amount of water and citric acid possible to dissolve your gear
   
4. Don’t inject drugs alone. Try to do it with others around
   
5. Dispose of your used injecting equipment carefully
   Get a sharps safe box from your syringe exchange scheme and keep the box out of reach of children.
   

Cleaning Injecting Equipment
Always use clean syringes and needles every time you inject. If you are faced with no alternative take the following 3 steps:

1. Flush out the syringe and needle with clean cold water. Repeat this step
   
2. Draw bleach through the needle into the syringe. Leave some air in it and shake it vigorously for at least 30 seconds. Squirt the bleach down the drain or toilet. Repeat this step
   
3. Flush out the syringe and needle again with fresh cold water. Repeat this step