Services Database Needle & Syringe Programme (St Helens Council Area)

Aims

3.1 Providing service users who inject drugs clean needles and syringes

simultaneously will assist towards protecting their health until they are ready and

willing to cease injecting and ultimately achieve a drug-free life with the

appropriate support.

3.2 To protect health and reduce the rate of blood-borne infections and drug related

deaths among service users by:

» reducing the rate of sharing and other high-risk injecting behaviours;

» providing sterile injecting equipment and other support;

» promoting safer injecting practices;

» providing and reinforcing harm reduction messages.

» increasing awareness of symptoms of opioid overdose and how to respond in

an emergency

» providing training in the appropriate use of naloxone in the situation of opioid

overdose

3.3 To improve the health of local communities by preventing the spread of blood-

borne infections by providing a safe and effective route for the disposal of used

injecting equipment.

3.4 To help service users access treatment by offering referral to CGL and health and

social care professionals where appropriate.

3.5 To maximise the access and retention of all injectors, especially the highly socially

excluded.

3.6 To help service users access other health and social care providers, acting as a

gateway to other services.

Not known