In June 2010 I wrote an article for Injecting Advice concerning fluorescent blue lights (and related harm) in public toilets. That previous article coincided with the publication of an academic paper in the journal Health and Place and both summarised research (from the city of Plymouth, UK) that considered the injecting practices of drug users who had previously accessed toilets lit with blue lights. In this article, I'd like to provide a brief update of the issue of blue lights following my ongoing interest in this topic.

Safe injecting practices and other protective factors that helped people to avoid HCV are not necessarily motivated by BBV avoidance, but by more pragmatic concerns such as avoiding track marks (for those early in their injecting careers ), maintaining venous access and facilitating a pleasurable injecting experience.

I have a confession to make. I'm a Twitter junkie. As soon as I say that people know what I mean. The word, 'junkie' is an evocative word, that paints a picture of compulsive behaviour that interferes with other facets of the 'sufferers' life. This is why journalists use the word junkie. It provokes and paints a picture with a single word. When used to describe people who inject drugs, the 'j' word presents a two dimensional cartoon. An image of an emaciated person prepared to rob his or her mother to get their 'fix'. It is stereotyping of the worst type. Fortunately I am not the only person to think so.

The UK in currently in the grip of cold weather. In this article I'm going to look at both the steps services can take to support people during the current cold snap and hopefully some advice for people who are forced to spend time outside in the snow. Plus how this will improve the relationship with visitors and give staff another great set of engagement tools.

Premier Baillieu said in parliament today, 'I don't want to be in the business of sending messages to kids ... that it's okay to dabble in drugs'. Baillieu is opposed to SIF 'based on observation and a detailed look at all of these issues'. Now, I'm not sure what he's had a detailed look at but it isn't the evidence.

Recently I've been reading and listening to some interesting talks on the advice that we give alongside syringe delivery. I think that in many Needle Programmes (NSP) workers are overly focused on the equipment an injector chooses to use rather than on the process of injecting.

I've been thinking of this for awhile, I want to ban the word 'clean' from drug services, granted it's only a word so you might think I'm just being picky, but words like this carry both a lot of power and a wide range of meanings.

Accidental sharing risks, those times when in all the confusion of the moment people aren't quite sure if the needle they intend to use is their own or not.