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Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2012, 14, 3 (pages: 89 - 100)

The journey into injecting heroin use

Barry D., Syed H., Smyth B. P.

Summary: Drug injection carries with it many risks and it is therefore important to understand its origins. We interviewed 104 young opioid users with median age of 22 years. The median age of first opioid use was 16 years, this being heroin chasing in 91% of cases. Friends or sexual partners played an important role in both initial introduction to opiates and in the switch to injecting. Curiosity was the most important factor in first heroin use and the second most important factor, after escalating tolerance, in influencing the decision to first inject.