Syringe Disposal Among Injection Drug Users in San Francisco

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2010 May 15

PMID 20466956

Citations 10

Authors

Lynn D Wenger

Alexis N Martinez

Lisa Carpenter

Dara Geckeler

Grant Colfax

Alex H Kral

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

To assess the prevalence of improperly discarded syringes and to examine syringe disposal practices of injection drug users (IDUs) in San Francisco, we visually inspected 1000 random city blocks and conducted a survey of 602 IDUs. We found 20 syringes on the streets we inspected. IDUs reported disposing of 13% of syringes improperly. In multivariate analysis, obtaining syringes from syringe exchange programs was found to be protective against improper disposal, and injecting in public places was predictive of improper disposal. Few syringes posed a public health threat.

Citing Articles

Were Needles Everywhere?: Differing Views on Syringe Waste and Disposal Associated With Needs-Based Syringe Services Programs Among Community Partners and Persons Who Inject Drugs.

Hershow R, Pieczykolan L, Worthington N, Adams M, McDonald R, Wilson S Subst Use Misuse. 2024; 59(8):1174-1181.

PMID: 38509704 PMC: 11103866. DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2024.2330895.

A Qualitative Analysis of Barriers to Accessing HIV Prevention Services During an HIV Outbreak among Persons who Inject Drugs in West Virginia.

Hershow R, Worthington N, Adams M, McDonald R, Wilson S, McBee S AIDS Behav. 2024; 28(2):669-681.

PMID: 38165598 PMC: 10922593. DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04254-2.

Syringe disposal among people who inject drugs before and after the implementation of a syringe services program.

Levine H, Bartholomew T, Rea-Wilson V, Onugha J, Arriola D, Cardenas G Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019; 202:13-17.

PMID: 31280002 PMC: 6854527. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.04.025.

"Taking away the chaos": a health needs assessment for people who inject drugs in public places in Glasgow, Scotland.

Tweed E, Rodgers M, Priyadarshi S, Crighton E BMC Public Health. 2018; 18(1):829.

PMID: 29973179 PMC: 6030790. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-5718-9.

Students as effective harm reductionists and needle exchange organizers.

Barbour K, McQuade M, Brown B Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy. 2017; 12(1):15.

PMID: 28302153 PMC: 5356241. DOI: 10.1186/s13011-017-0099-0.

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