Crack and speedballs

This one day course will review the emerging patterns of use among many injectors and consider the implications of both crack injecting and combined drug injection. Changes in injecting practice are increasingly reported across the UK and appear to be connected to a rise in extensive injecting related damage.

Drug services are well used to dealing with injecting heroin use, but are often less well equipped to support crack injectors and 'speedballers'. The course will enable participants to consider specific practical responses to reduce injecting related harm amongst this growing group of users.

Learning objectives

This course will enable participants to:

• gain an understanding of the changing patterns of injecting drug use and the implications for harm reduction interventions;
• develop knowledge based on current literature, pharmacology and reported user experiences;
• understand in detail, the process of preparing crack and heroin for injection and how to reduce associated risks;
• examine how the injection of crack and speedballs can be associated with extensive injecting related damage and how this can be reduced; and
• consider how practical and therapeutic treatment can contribute to more effective interventions to reduce harms amongst users of crack and speedballs.

Danos

This course supports the following DANOS units

AA6, AB2, AB4, AB5, AC1, AD1