Needle and Syringe Exchange Schemes are vital to the health and wellbeing of the entire community by providing a free, confidential health service for people who inject drugs, through the provision of clean, sterile injecting equipment and harm reduction advice; providing a place for injecting equipment to be safely disposed of, reducing drug-related litter, as well as reducing the risk of diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C within the wider population.
Anyone who injects substances can use a needle exchange service and this includes people who inject opioids, steroids, tanning agents and stimulants.
Community pharmacies have been providing needle exchange services to injecting drug users in Northern Ireland since 2001. There are currently twenty community pharmacy needle and syringe exchanges in Northern Ireland.
Needle exchanges are a vital way to help protect not only people who inject substances, but also the wider community, from infection or injury. Providing a local service can make it easier for people to return used needles for safe disposal, which can reduce the number of needles found in public places.
There is good evidence that this service is effective in reducing the spread of blood borne viruses (e.g. HIV and Hepatitis B and C).
Providing services locally is vital, as people who inject substances are often vulnerable, may be in poor health, and without local access to sterile equipment and advice. They may share and reuse injecting equipment, which can lead to serious illness and infection. Needle exchanges also provide those using the service with direct access to a health professional, who can support them in engaging with various treatment services directly and indirectly related to their substance misuse.
For information on other drug and alcohol services available in your local area, please see www.drugsandalcoholni.info