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Database ID	661
Title	The injection of methadone syrup in New South Wales (Australia)
Description	This study sought to document the impact on injecting practice of a NSW Government policy decision to withdraw from NSW needle and syringe programmes the distribution of equipment used in the injection of methadone syrup (e.g. 5, 10, 20ml barrels and winged infusion sets/’butterflies’). The NSW Government did not collect data before the policy was implemented (i.e. January 1999), so unfortunately this study has no baseline to compare its results to. The study’s main findings however reveal high levels of re-use of this injecting equipment and it is suggested that the policy change did not achieve the desired aim to stop or minimise the injection of methadone syrup in NSW, rather it compelled people to re-use their equipment which reportedly resulted in significant vein damage and related negative health impacts.
Status	Archived
Researchers	Erica Southgate Susan Kippax
Collaborating researchers	Gabriele Bammer G Isaac-Toua Margaret MacDonald Max Hopwood C Aspin
Keywords	methadone ; iv drug use ; risk factors ;
Methodology	Mixed method (i.e. in-depth semi structured interviews and a questionnaire).
Institution	University of New South Wales. National Centre in HIV Social Research
Collaborating institutions	National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research
Funding institutions	New South Wales. Dept. of Health
Start Date	08-1999
End Date	06-2001
Publications	Southgate, E ; Kippax, S ; Bammer, G ; Isaac-Toua, G ; MacDonald, M ; Hopwood, M ; Aspin, C (2001), Methadone injection in New South Wales (monograph 6/2001), National Centre in HIV Social Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney. Hopwood, M ; Southgate, E ; Kippax, S ; Bammer, G ; Isaac-Toua, G ; MacDonald, M (2003), The injection of methadone syrup in New South Wales: patterns of use and increased harm after partial banning of injecting equipment, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, vol. 27, pp. 551-5. Fraser, S ; Hopwood, M ; Treloar, C ; Brener, L (2004), Needle fictions: medical constructions of needle fixation and the injecting drug user, Addiction Research and Theory, vol. 12, pp. 67-76.
Contact	Name  Hopwood, Max Phone  (02) 9385 6436 Fax  (02) 9385 6455
Indexed	Illicit drugs -> IV drug use (127) Health and medical -> Body systems & diseases -> Communicable diseases -> HIV / AIDS (88) Health and medical -> Body systems & diseases -> HIV / AIDS (88) Health and medical -> Pharmacotherapy -> Methadone (56) Treatment -> Pharmacotherapy -> Methadone (56) Geographic regions -> Australia -> New South Wales (357) Geographic regions -> Pacific area -> New Zealand (45)

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