학술논문

A survey of Zanzibari heroin users
Document Type
Academic Journal
Source
Drugs and Alcohol Today, 2008, Vol. 8, Issue 1, pp. 21-26.
Subject
review-article
General review
cat-HSC
Health & social care
cat-PPEM
Public policy & environmental management
cat-SOCY
Sociology
cat-CFPY
Criminology & forensic psychology
cat-PLC
Policing
cat-MEDS
Medical sociology
cat-SMIS
Substance misuse
cat-CJ
Criminal justice
cat-DAA
Drug & alcohol addiction
Heroin use
Zanzibar
Injecting behaviour
Harm reduction
Language
English
ISSN
1745-9265
Abstract
This paper reports on a questionnaire survey of 300 heroin users in Zanzibar town, in Tanzania. It was found that about 13% of respondents were current injectors of heroin, but that 38% of respondents reported have ‘ever injected’ heroin. Many injectors reported hiding their needles and syringes and almost half of them had shared their equipment during the past four weeks. Most of the respondents reported that they had not had sexual intercourse during the past four weeks. Of those who were sexually active most reported not having used a condom the last time they had intercourse. These findings highlight the need for a wider recognition of the extent of heroin use in East Africa as well as the urgent need to provide harm reduction and treatment services.