Since 1987 in France, syringes are freely available in pharmacies without prescription.
Where to find information and/or syringes ?
See AIDES and other associations, pharmacies and specialised care centres.
How to avoid transmiting HIV or hepatitis ?
The skin should be disinfected with alcohol before the injection, following these guidelines:
- Never lend, borrow or reuse a syringe.
- Never lend or borrow a spoon. Disinfect it before each use.
- Never share a filter or a piece of cotton.
- Never transfer the product from syringe to syringe.
1 person = 1 syringe
Substitution treatments now exist (Subutex, Methadone...) if you want to control or stop your use of opiate drugs (heroin, etc.) or diverted opiate medicines (Neocodion, Skenan, etc.).
Although it is not recommended, Subutex is often taken by injection.
Injecting Subutex can seriously damage someone’s veins. To limit the damage, this product should be well filtered before injection.
Drug sniffing, body piercing and tattooing can be entry points for HIV, but also, and even more, for hepatitis C (HCV).
- When sniffing drug, avoid sharing your straw with other persons;
- When getting pierced or tattooed, you should prefer a professional using an autoclave (a device which sterilises the plier in the case of piercing and the needle in the case of tattooing), or prefer single-use equipment.
Look for the advice of your doctor or AIDES delegation.
