People who regularly inject drugs also experience a range of other health problems, which may be secondary to drug use. This bulletin provides an overview of the general health and wellbeing of regular injecting drug users participating in a 2010 study.

It also examines the differences between two sub-samples of this group - one experiencing poor health and wellbeing, and a second experiencing better health and wellbeing.

It is well established that a sizeable proportion of people who regularly inject drugs often experience a broad range of health problems. These include - but are by no means limited to - conditions such as chronic pain, respiratory illness and cardiovascular disease.

Some are specifically related to the injection of drugs, such as transmission of blood borne viruses (BBVs, e.g. hepatitis C), vascular damage and overdose. In addition, comorbid substance use and mental health disorders are prevalent amongst regular injectors, and associated with poorer treatment outcomes, high levels of service utilisation and more severe disability.

As such, major projects such as the National Comorbidity Initiative have been implemented to enhance coordination across policy and service delivery directions, and to reduce existing barriers impacting on assessment and treatment.