Needle Exchanges

[upthebracket]

how much info do these places need from you? are they going to take a name and adress and phone number? let's say you're living with someone who you don't want to know about your hobby, are they going to track you down and stick a "junkie" sticker on your front door?

secondly, do you have to be hooked and fucked up if you go there? can you just be a sometimes user? is it possible to go there and get some needles if you've never injected before?

Reputation Comments on this post:

good question, always wondered about that

[IHrtHalucingens]

From what i understand, they take no information from you and there are no requirements for using this service. Now personally SWIM has never injected anything so has not had any experience with needle exchanges, but its there to slow the spread of diseases by people using dirty needles.

[upthebracket]

i should mention that i meant UK needle exchanges, forgot to add that, i'm not sure how they vary internationally, but thanks

[MrJim]

Needle exchangers know the importance of anonimity to the end user. For the UK Browse this site.

http://www.harmreduction.co.uk/about_nx_programs.html

[upthebracket]

thanks jim, the prospect of using one still seems dauting to SWIM, he hasn't injected before and dosen't have access to needles, he's got a lot to lose for the sake of a curiosity

[MrJim]

This is a little off subject - but if you have not yet used a needle, don't start. It makes things much more difficult in many ways.
If you need any advice feel free to send me a PM.
Peace.

[Beltane]

The NE in the mid-sized midwestern town where I currently find mysef uses some wierd code in order to keep you totally anonymous. The place is great for info, supplies (cookers, needles, ties, cottons, alcohol, condoms, toot-brushes, etc.) and the people are all really cool. Most of them are ex-junkies into harm reduction who never preach and are people who know the deal who help you by keeping an eye on you.

Good or bad, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Funny story, SWIM's dealer in CA would keep 2 containers of needles: clean and dirty. So he'd exchange whatever you needed for you. He was going anyway

- Beltane

Reputation Comments on this post:

my dealer self inciminating

[adzket]

it's all private it has to be it comes under medical care so same rules that apply to doctors do to exscanges most are run in pharmicys or hospitals any way at most they will ask for you initials and d.o.b this is so they no how many users they have and what there using. and to identify you as a user of that exscange some may give you a pin no to use when you go to exscange your pins. at least in the uk that is

[Fantasian]

Is there a way to access the exchange without informing your GP. SWIM wouldnt like to lose his prescription opiates because of a needle exchange informing his GP of the visit. Are the needles free? Is there another website to the one above?(im assuming this doesnt come under sources)

[adzket]

no exchange will pass your info on to the doctor there not alowd to like i say its all privet under the rules governing medical practisoners. swim does this to gets meth from doc but still has a hit every now and then. only thing to be carefull of is that your doc does not drug test you as many do when perscribing opiats for addiction.

[Fantasian]

SWIM has legitemate pain that requires morphine and other opiates he would be testing someone he knows is using. How does SWIM go about accessing the needle exchange? Just walk in?

[adzket]

well swim has no worry about the docs then. yeah just walk in and say you want to join there exscange program. once you have registerd as a user they normaly only give out more when you return your old works thats why its an exscange. they sometimes give you a copple if it is emergancy with no returns. and some have spersific times if there in a pharmacy or helth clinc or something like that and tend to stick to those times. swim has been turned away befor and had to re use one of his old pins. also make shure swiy no how to inject properly an useing citric acid ect as this can cause problems i would also recomend a tetnis booster aswell as it can be a problem amongst the injecting population.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Great advice on needle exchanges

[Fantasian]

Originally Posted by adzket

well swim has no worry about the docs then. yeah just walk in and say you want to join there exscange program. once you have registerd as a user they normaly only give out more when you return your old works thats why its an exscange. they sometimes give you a copple if it is emergancy with no returns. and some have spersific times if there in a pharmacy or helth clinc or something like that and tend to stick to those times. swim has been turned away befor and had to re use one of his old pins. also make shure swiy no how to inject properly an useing citric acid ect as this can cause problems i would also recomend a tetnis booster aswell as it can be a problem amongst the injecting population.

SWIM knows how to inject properly as he has worked in a hospital and given himself injections from kits he has 'Aquired from hospital' however SWIM isnt sure what citric acid is for?

Thanks for the advice it was most welcome

[adzket]

no worrys there hapy to help (can you rate my post though go to scales at right side of msg) citric acid is used to break down h for injecting only a small amount is needed or use vit c for coke your exscange should have these sometimes you have to buy them though some give it for free.

[Fantasian]

No problems, SWIM doesnt use H or coke just pure morphine from hospital. SWIM is a little concious of going for the first time. Would the needle exchange accept that he was going for a friend?

[adzket]

no they would not exsept you going for a friend you can't do that or any tom dick or harry could go innit. if your useing pure morphine perscribed by the doctor you can go to any chemist and buy needles for a cupple of squids ask for insulin needles. they may ask what there for but probibly wont if so just say you get perscribed morphen and they will be fine swim has had to use that when excanges are closed ect.. they should also sell sterits (alcohol wipes) they also can not tell your doctor. use a differant one to you usaly would if your worryed about the staff there knowing your injecting.

[Fantasian]

hehe, you midunderstood SWIM.

SWIM's doctor prescribes him Oromorph an orally taken version of Morphine sulphate.

SWIM's job allows him access to the hospital where he takes Injectable morphine sulphate. That way he knows its pure.

SWIM could say that he is a diabetic and still obtain these needles in pharmacy's though?

[adzket]

yeah swim gets that thats why swim sugested useing diffrent pharmacy to normall as you where not geting the drugs your g.p perscribs but ones your doctor does get me?

[Beltane]

There are several places one can order needles from over the internet as well. If anonymity were still a major issue, SWIM's guess is that there are some that would accept money orders as forms of payment.

SWIM's needle exchange is totally anonymous. One is issued a card that has an ID code created from things like first two digits of your street address+last letter of mothers maiden name+first and last letter of last school attended + number of siblings. So from them on, with card in hand, SWIM is knows as something like 34YLY1.

- Beltane

[adzket]

is not ordering them over the net a bit dodgy getting pins shiped to you? also this would take lots of time for postage which is pointles when you can walk in and get them free from and excange or buy them from a pharmacy. also if you do go get pins from and exscange or pharmacy no what size you need for your doseage. insulin pins are normaly 1ml suringe with a micro fine needle atached to the barel, sometimes they can be 1/2ml. then you get 2ml / 5ml / 10ml you can get biger barel's (suringe's) but swim dont know why you would need any biger. with seperate pins to atach to the end of the barel verying in size (lengh & thicknes) from light orange, orange, light blue, blue and green, (smallest to bigest) for use depending on where your injecting. also fantasian with swiy working in a hospital could they not get pins from there if they can get morphen from the hospital? hope this helps swiy.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Very informative!

[Beltane]

SWIM started off buying points for steroids. Can't usually get the right ones at pharmacies or exchanges. Probably a bit dodgy to order thru the mail, yes. Hoped the cops had better things to do.

- Beltane

[powderhead55]

How do these work? there's one about 1.5 hrs away from here and wanted to know how it works, do you just walk in and ask for a syringe? or do they only give them out if you can prove you're an addict? SWIM only uses occasionally and doesnt want to make the trip for one needle, or end up with nothing at all. I looked at a few different sites but either couldnt find what i was looking for, or the links were screwed up, thanks

[boolah99]

I once saw SWIM buy syringes from the pharmacy OTC for diabetes without a prescription. Don't those work as well?

[MrJim]

Originally Posted by powderhead55

How do these work? there's one about 1.5 hrs away from here and wanted to know how it works, do you just walk in and ask for a syringe? or do they only give them out if you can prove you're an addict? SWIM only uses occasionally and doesnt want to make the trip for one needle, or end up with nothing at all. I looked at a few different sites but either couldnt find what i was looking for, or the links were screwed up, thanks

Normally these exchanges are based on two principles - Harm reduction and anonimity. They want people to be safe first and foremost so they will give anyone needles who asks. No names, no health card numbers. You don't have to state a case for them, they are there to help.

[adzket]

there is a thread hear has every thing you need to know http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/sho...728#post156728