Search Result

Tourniquets

Tourniquets pronounced turn-e-kay are used to raise veins and can be helpful when injecting. However, a badly used tourniquet introduces many new risks, and it would be safer not to use one at all rather than to use a tourniquet badly.

For example, some guys don’t like a needle and syringe ‘flapping around’ while they release the tourniquet, which is why they release it after injecting. This is not advisable as it puts pressure on the veins (which can burst) and cause serious circulation problems if you pass out with the tourniquet tight around your arm.

Used correctly, tourniquets reduce the risk of missed hits, which can lead to infections and abscesses. The ideal tourniquet should be non-absorbent, wide enough not to cut into the skin, long enough to tie to loosen with your mouth and have some give in it.

Medical tourniquets
Once the tourniquet is sited, you need to be able to release it without removing a hand from the needle. Medical tourniquets are designed for another person to use, not the person being injected.

Tourniquets and the law
Here we have a problem (in the UK) as Section 9a of the Misuse of Drugs Act specifically stops being able to legally supply tourniquets to injecting drug users. It should be noted, however, that in the history of the act we are not aware of a single prosecution of a drug service giving out any form of harm reduction equipment.

How to use a tourniquet | Injecting advice

Tourniquet | Wikipedia
A history of the tourniquet | David R Welling et al
Drug paraphernalia and UK law | Exchange Supplies
Safer injecting resource pack (pg 42) | KFX

Section 9A of the Misuse of Drugs Act

Under Section 9A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, it is a criminal offence to supply or offer to supply articles for administering or preparing controlled drugs. The Act says an offence will be committed if the following circumstances exist:

• An article is supplied or offered to be supplied.
• The article may be used or adapted to be used (whether by itself or in combination with another article or articles) in the administration of a controlled drug.
• The person supplying or offering to supply the article did so in the belief that the article would be so used by any person, whether to administer the drug to themselves or another, in circumstances where that administration would be unlawful.

Articles such as crack pipes, grinders, spoons, bongs and tourniquets could fall within this prohibition. However, prosecutions under section 9A - even of headshops clearly promoting drug use - are now virtually unheard of, and there has never been an employee of a drug service tried for this offence.