The Illicit Drugs Reporting System (IDRS) is a national drug monitoring system intended to identify emerging trends of local and national concern in illicit drug markets and forms part of Drug Trends.
The aim of this bulletin is to describe injecting equipment access among a group of PWID interviewed in Australia in 2022.
Background: People who inject drugs (PWID) have an increased risk of contracting blood-borne viruses (BBV) and injection-related health problems. Needle and equipment sharing is still a common occurrence among PWID in Australia, despite high coverage of interventions. The stigma associated with drug use might prevent PWID from seeking treatment and engaging with healthcare services which might increase their vulnerability to unsafe injecting behaviours and overdoses.