Reductions in high-risk drug use behaviors among participants in the Baltimore needle exchange program.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether enrollment in the Baltimore Needle Exchange Program (NEP) was associated with short-term reduction in risky injection practices.


METHODS
Demographic information was collected on NEP participants upon enrollment. A systematic sample of enrollees was interviewed at program entry, 2 weeks, and 6 months later on recent drug-related behaviors. Comparisons were performed using paired t-tests.


RESULTS
Among 221 NEP participants who completed baseline, 2-week and 6-month follow-up visits, significant reductions (p < .01) were reported in using a previously used syringe (21.6%, 11.0%, 7.8%, respectively), lending one's used syringe to a friend (26.7%, 18.4%, 12%, respectively), and several indirect sharing activities. Reductions were reported in the mean number of injections per syringe and the mean number of injections per day (p < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
These results show rapid and mostly large reductions in a variety of risky injection drug use behaviors. Study findings are consistent with earlier reports showing an association between behavioral risk reduction and participation in a needle exchange program.
Vlahov
D
D
Department of Epidemiology, The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
Junge
B
B
Brookmeyer
R
R
Cohn
S
S
Riley
E
E
Armenian
H
H
Beilenson
P
P
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009339:Needles; D012309:Risk-Taking; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000523:psychology*