User:Infernal.magnet/Intravenous Drug Use

Intravenous Drug Use
This page is intended to contain information on the phenomena of intravenous drug use specificially. As a method of delivery, IV injection has a number of features that make it distinctly different to other methods of ingesting drugs and it needs a page of it's own.

History
IV drug use is a relatively recent phenomena, owing it's creation to the invention of the first re-useable syringes as well as the synthesis of chemically pure morphine and cocaine.

It was noted that administering drugs intravenously strengthened thier effect and since such drugs as heroin and cocaine were already being used to treat a wide variety of ailments, many patients were given injections of 'hard drugs' for such ailments as alcoholism and depression.

by the time of aliester Crowley [check date] intravenous drug culture already had a small, but loyal following. Arthur Conan Doyle writes that Sherlock Holmes used to inject cocaine before thinking about a particuarly hard case.

the idea of wonder drugs that could make a person superhuman, banish fatigue and essentially improve human functioning was a central theme of this period, which climaxed in the Second World war, where both sides, but particuarly the Germans, were high on amphetamines.

Initiation
Because learning to inject drugs yourself is very difficult, most people learn from someone else, which has given rise to a belief that IV drug users 'infect' others with thier nefarious practice.

Social Stigma
Now days, there is a substantial social stigma attatched to being an IV drug user, usually greatly exaggerated by the belief that IV use is somehow 'unclean'

Advantages
Injecting a drug intravenously means that more of the drug will reach the brain quicker. Not only does this mean that the drug will have a very strong and rapid onset (or rush)
 * Incresed Effect

If you are addicted to a drug and are in a state of restricted supply, injecting ensures that all of the drug will be absorbed.
 * More efficient usage.

Some people with sensitive stomaches findn it very unpleasant to swallow drugs because of persistant cramps or nausea.
 * Bypasses the digestive system

although somewhat of an unban legend that using drugs IV for an extended peroid will result in collapsed veins, this is untrue as long as the site of injection is constantly moved and old sites are given a chance to heal. The body has many metres of surface viens, unlike the mucous membranes, which are used continually when someone habitually snorts a drug and may undergo permanent damage.
 * does not harm the lungs or mucous membranes.

Disadvantages
This is a two fold problem. One is needle sharing which transmits blood borne diseases amongst users and the other is secondary infection of injection sites caused by lack of hygiene and failure to rotate the injection site.
 * Increased chance of blood borne infection

Because IV injecting delivers a dose of drug straight into the bloodstream it bypasses the body's natural chemcial defenses. Taking too much can result unpleasant side effects, some of them very serious.
 * Increased chance of Overdose

Again, this is one of the problems principally caused by drug prohibition. If an IV user has access to clean, sharp needles, the scarring will be relatively mild and often hardly noticable, like the marks of an insulin user. However, if forced to use blunt injecting equipment, horrible scarring can result. This is particuarly common with users who have been injecting while in jail, who re-use disposable syringes sometimes hundreds of times.
 * Scarring of the peripherial viens

The intense pleasure associated with IV drugs leads people to repeat the experience. This may, however, be something of a cliche, since there are many people addicted to drugs who not not inject them.
 * Increased Chance of Addiction

Quite a number of people have an intense aversion to needles. In some people, it becomes a phobia, known as Trypanophobia, which can make some people feel nauseus or faint. There is also, in many societies, an intense social stigma attatched to IV drug use. Many people feel that it is somehow unclean to take drugs in such a manner, even though they may be perfectly comfortable taking them by another route.
 * Social Stigma

Preparation
Preparing drugs for