Aluminium foil

Providing people who inject drugs with aluminium foil is a harm reduction measure.

Inhalation is often a preferred alternative to injections.  

Injections are associated with a number of risks, including viral infections (HIV, hepatitis C) due to the sharing of syringes and other preparation devices; bacterial and fungal infections (abscesses, endocarditis, etc.); and vein damage (thrombosis, ischaemic lesions, etc.). These risks can be avoided by inhaling the product instead. Moreover, the risk of overdose is higher with injections than it is with inhalation.

Aluminium foil can be made available to people who inject drugs if they cannot find a vein or if injections need to be further spaced out in order to allow their veins to heal.

This is why needle and syringe programmes are encouraged to stock and provide aluminium foil.