Behavioural Patterns of Drug Users In Highland

4.5. Drug use in prison

Fifty (65.8%) injectors had been in prison, on average 7.8 times, since they first started using drugs. Eleven had injected drugs in prison. Of these, five always injected with needles and syringes that had never been used previously by another prisoner, six had shared with fellow prisoners. All of the six prisoners who had used needles and syringes that had already been used by a fellow prisoner reported that they always cleaned them before use. The most popular method of cleaning needles and syringes was sterilizing tablets with 4 respondents reporting this, two boiled their equipment and methods such as hot and cold water each being used by one (respondents could use more than one method).