Behavioural change amongst drug injectors in Scottish prisons.
A study of injecting behaviour amongst a purposive sample of drug-users in Scottish prisons found that 32% reported injecting prior to current sentence. The percentage of these who were injecting during their current prison sentence (i.e. inside the prison) had fallen to 11%. Of those who were injecting prior to imprisonment, 24% reported sharing injecting equipment at that time. Of those who were still injecting in prison, however, 76% reported sharing equipment. Overall, therefore, there were fewer injectors in prison, but a higher proportion of these shared needles. Factors most closely identified with current sharing of injecting equipment in prison were: (a) having injected a wider range of drugs in prison (during both current and previous sentences); (b) frequency of Temgesic use; and (c) being prescribed methadone in the community, then having that prescription discontinued on entry to prison.
Shewan
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D
Addiction Research Group, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland.
Gemmell
M
M
Davies
J B
JB
D000328:Adult; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016485:Needle Sharing; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D011330:Prisons; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012606:Scotland; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology