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The introduction of foil into needle exchanges
Rachael Pizzey, Team Leader, Turning Point, Somerset
Abstract
There is a strong evidence base that smoking drugs is less harmful than injecting and national good practice suggests that services should move injectors on to less harmful methods of drug taking.
When we received a direct request for foil from a service user it prompted us to look further into this issue and develop an intervention to encourage drug users to smoke their drug of choice rather than inject.
Turning Point Somerset has taken part in the distribution of foil in the needle exchange alongside Exchange Supplies who are national suppliers of needle exchange equipment and paraphernalia and have developed packs of aluminium foil purpose made for smoking drugs and with the full support of Avon and Somerset constabulary.
Promoting smoking as a safer alternative to injecting has been a part of specialist needle exchange practice for years. Workers regularly discuss this with injecting service users. However, not having the foil to distribute to clients has meant that we have not been able to engage interest and so uptake was low. Having purpose made foil in the needle exchange engages injectors into discussing the possibility of smoking and we have found that it also encourages a large number of them to give it a try.
This presentation will take you through the process and the outcomes of introducing foil into the needle exchange in Somerset.
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Biography
Rachael trained as a nurse in London and on qualifying specialised in the field of HIV/AIDS. She has been with Turning Point in Somerset (the voluntary drug and alcohol agency) as a Team Leader for 12 years during which time she has worked continuously to raise the profile of harm reduction services in Somerset.
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