It is important to continually monitor the injecting and sharing behaviour of drug users, especially as injecting/sharing are important factors in the transmission of infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B, C and HIV. This section presents information from the SDMD on those reporting injecting in the past month, sharing needles/syringes and sharing spoons/water/filters/solutions. Information on the impact of infectious diseases is provided from the Scottish Centre for Infection & Environmental Health (SCIEH).

Injecting in the past month

In 2002/03, 42 per cent of new individuals attending drug treatment services reported that they had injected in the past month. This was an increase from the relative stability of previous years (in 1998/99, 39%, in 2001/02, 38%) (Table B1.21). The rise in new individuals reporting injecting in the last month, was reflected in all age groups but particularly so in the 20-24 age group (Table B1.22, Chart 6). Further information on variations in drug-related behaviours by age can be found in 'Variations in patterns of drug misuse by gender and age group'.

Chart 6 Individuals injecting within the previous month by age group : 1998/99 - 2002/03

Source : Table B1.22 (SDMD)

Sharing injecting equipment

In 2002/03, there was a fall from previous years in the number of current injectors reporting that they had shared needles/syringes in the previous month despite an increase of individuals reporting recent injecting. Thirty-two per cent of current injectors reported sharing needles/syringes, compared to 34 per cent in 1998/99 and 36 per cent in 2001/02 (Table B1.30, Chart 7).

Chart 7 Current injectors reporting sharing needles/syringes in previous month by age group : 1998/99 - 2002/03(1)

1 Information for 1998/99 to 2000/01 refers to sharing equipment. Information for 2001/02 & 2002/03 refers to sharing needles/syringes.

Source : Table B1.30 (SDMD)

There was also a slight reduction in the percentage of current injectors reporting that they shared spoons/water/filters/solutions in the previous month, 48 per cent, compared to 50 per cent in 2001/02 (Tables B1.32).

Infectious diseases and the sharing of injecting equipment

The spread of infectious diseases as a consequence of sharing of injecting equipment continues to be a problem in Scotland. In the first six months of 2002 more than half of all new Hepatitis C (HCV) infections were injecting drug users (IDUs). The total number of IDUs known to be infected with HCV now stands at 8 719. Encouragingly, however, the latest figures on HCV infection show a continuation of the downward trend in total infections over the period 1998 to 2001 (Table A5.2, Chart 8).

Chart 8 Probable/possible route of transmission of persons reported to be Hepatitis C antibody-positive : 1998 - 20021

1 2002 refers only up until June 2002

Source : Table A5.2 (SCIEH)

From 1990 onwards there has been a steady decline in reported new HIV infections amongst the IDU population: from 38 in 1990, 26 in 1998 to 10 in 2002. The cumulative total (to 31 December 2002) of HIV infected reports in IDU's is 1 278 (Table A5.4). The increase in the median age at diagnosis of HIV (25 in 1990, 33 in 1998, 37 in 2002) is suggestive of an ageing cohort of individuals who acquired their infection many years previously (Table A5.6).

The introduction of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) during 1996 resulted in a dramatic decline in the annual number of AIDS registrations and deaths. These have remained relatively low in IDUs: 25 cases in 1990, 19 cases in 1998 and 13 cases in 2002. The cumulative total of AIDS registrations (to 31 December 2002) in IDU's is 418 (Table A5.4).