Ideally, you should never share your fits, tourniquets, preparation area, swabs or any of your gear with anyone. But if you haven't stocked up on gear, don't want to try alternatives to injecting, and absolutely must share with others, read on...
Most of us know why, but here goes... a new fit greatly reduces your chances of vein damage, hepatitis C, HIV and other nasties, as long as you handle it carefully with proper hygiene. Also, the damage to your vein is minimized with proper technique — even two or three uses of a needle bluntens the tip and it starts ripping your vein lining badly. If you’ve been caught out without a new fit, have a serious look at trying an alternative — shafting, smoking or snorting. Otherwise, it is a case of reusing or sharing.
Reusing gear that only you have used
Reusing means using a needle and syringe (or other injecting gear like tourniquets, swabs, filters) that only YOU have used before. If you keep a fit to be reused, make sure you wash it in cold water immediately after use, as warm water causes the blood to congeal, making it hard to remove from the fit. Follow the 2x2x2 bleaching instructions below. Be aware, though, that rinsing and bleaching a fit properly is still not 100% effective at killing viruses and bacteria.
If you reuse your own needle you could get a dirty hit from injecting bacteria that has been festering in the fit. You can also do damage to your veins by using a blunt needle.
Sharing gear with others
As opposed to reusing, sharing means two or more people using the same injecting equipment (tourniquet, swab, filter, water, needle, spoon). It is best to use your own equipment, so always plan ahead and be prepared by carrying your own injecting gear.
If you have hepatitis C, it is possible that you could re-infect yourself with another form of hep C by sharing. There are many different strains around so don't think you can't get infected by another type if sharing.
Tourniquets and containers
If you must use someone else’s spoon, mixing container or tourniquet,
make sure you clean it with soapy water. If you don’t have accesss
to water, you can swab it and let it dry completely (it is during the drying
action that alcohol kills bacteria).
Water-
If sharing water, make sure that only a sterile fit (a fit that hasn’t
been used before and therefore has no blood on it) comes into contact with
the water. If a person needs more water after the needle has gone into their
injection site, their blood will contaminate the water making it unsafe
for anyone else to use.
Swabs-
These are used to clean fingers, surfaces that you lay any gear on, and
injection sites by wiping the swab in one direction and once only. If you
rub the swab around in circles it just pushes the dirt and bacteria around,
without actually wiping it off. Even though a swab used for cleaning may
not have any blood on it, it is pointless to share a swab that has been
used before because it is covered in dirt and bacteria.
Needles-
Two people — one syringe. This is not a good scenario! If you are
hell bent on sharing, follow the bleach guidelines below and let the person
who is least likely to be infected go first (having had a recent blood test).
Remember that bleaching a fit is not 100% effective at killing viruses and
bacteria.
2X2X2 bleaching of used fits
Ideally, you rinsed the fit in cold water immediately after its last use. First rinse the fit twice with sterilised water. Now rinse the fit twice with bleach, leaving the bleach in for two minutes each time and shaking the fit. Rinse the fit twice again in sterilised water.
This is no guarantee you have a clean fit, but at least you’ll have less chances of a dirty hit or getting viral or bacterial infections.
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