NCJ Number
145259
Journal
International Journal of Drug Policy Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: (1993) Pages: 64-71
Date Published
1993
Length
8 pages
Annotation
After examining the impact of a small population of intravenous drug users (IDU's) on the legal and health systems of Victoria and on the users' social systems, the author concludes that they have taken responsibility for HIV prevention and have initiated significant social change throughout Australia.
Abstract
Intervention and treatment of IDU's has fluctuated between the legal system and the health system. With the emergence of AIDS as a potentially disastrous health problem for IDU's, however, the scale is tipping somewhat in favor of the health system. In Australia, the legal system accepts needle exchanges backed by the health department and is coming to rely more heavily on treatment offered by the health system for IDU's who are HIV-positive. Many changes in policy and practice are also occurring in the health system in response to AIDS. Interviews by the author with six IDU's, five of whom are HIV-positive, indicate that they are becoming more responsible with respect to seeking health care and promoting peer education and are becoming more activist in pushing for constructive change in legal, health, and social policies regarding AIDS.