Good Practices
Prevent initiation of drug users into injecting
Name of Program:
Prevent Initiation of Drug Users into Injecting.
Target Audience (i.e. universal, selective, indicated):
Selective. The drug using population who are at risk of using injection as the route of intake.
Domain or Setting of the Intervention (i.e. school, family, combined, community, street):
Recruitment was from the drug using community, through drug services.
Description of Intervention:
The goal of the work was to evaluate the effectiveness of delivering a brief intervention to prevent initiation into injecting. Additionally, further research was conducted into the social processes of initiation into injecting. There is a recognition that injecting is usually preceded by non-injected drug use and new injectors learn to do so from more experienced users. The aim of the intervention was to: encourage the seasoned user to think about initiation; to identify and reduce the behaviour that unintentionally results in the initiation of others; increase the resistance to initiate non-injectors; enhance skills of the injector in dealing with initiation requests. The intervention was comprised of five distinct sections, which considered: the participant's initiation; their initiation of others; the risks associated with initiation; identifying behavioural aspects that might inadvertently promote injecting; and role playing initiation scenarios. The intervention is brief, it can be delivered in less than an hour. There are no associated costs beyond staff training.
Theoretic Basis:
Attitudinal and behavioural.
Leader Type:
Peer.
Results:
- The sample of current injecting drug users indicated they felt that peer pressure was not the reason for them starting to inject, in fact they sought out the initiation. Although pressure from other injecting users did not influence their decision, the experienced user did play an important role in providing information about the pleasurable aspect of injection and in responding to their requests to teach the drug user how to inject.
- Comparing data over a three-month period showed: the intervention had reduced the number of initiations; injecting drug users had reduced their interaction with non-injecting users; and participants reported fewer requests to initiate from non-injecting participants.
Reviewer's Comments:
Although the sample was small [86 individuals], the findings did show that this inexpensive intervention can result in a change in behaviour in the initiation of drug injection.
Program Sponsors:
Research:
The Mental Health Foundation, London; Consulting: National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London.
Year Program Established:
1997.
Associated Studies:
Investigations:
- Evaluation of a brief intervention to reduce initiation into injecting Hunt N, Stillwell G, Taylor C & Griffiths P (1998)Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy 5, 2: 185-193.
- The modelling of injecting behaviour and initiation into injecting; Stillwell G, Hunt N Taylor C & Griffiths P (1999) Addiction Research 7(5): 447-459.
- Preventing and curtailing injecting drug use: opportunities for developing and delivering 'route transition interventions' Hunt, N, Griffiths P, Southwell M, Stillwell G, And Strang J (1999); Drug and Alcohol Review. 18, 4: 441-451.
Contact:
Neil Hunt
Lecturer in Addictive Behaviours
Kent Institute of Medicine and Health Sciences
Research and Development Centre University of Kent at Canterbury
Canterbury Kent CT2 7PD
E-mail: N.Hunt@UKC.AC.UK
First draft of this review prepared by Jamie Weibe, Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.
Source:
G. Roberts, et al., (2001). Preventing Substance Use Problems: A Compendium of Best Practices. Health Canada.