Research note: The social behaviour of injecting drug users

Summary: As part of a larger interview schedule conducted with 1245 injecting drug users in Sydney, Australia, respondents were asked about the degree to which their drug use is conducted within a group context. They were also asked about the size of their user groups and the extent of needle-sharing that occurs in the groups. Results revealed that injecting drug use was a social behaviour approximately half of the time for the overall sample, but that there were statistically significant differences according to the age, gender, and drug experience of the user. The study also found an alarming amount of needle-sharing among the sample overall. Females, younger users, and those less experienced in injecting drug use were more inclined to inject in groups, while needle-sharing was more common among older and more experienced users.