Safer Inhalation Practices

- Gear options and care
  1. Glass stems
  2. Plastic mouthpieces
  3. Filters
  4. Foil kits
  5. Bubbler pipes
- Lung care

Potential Learning Outcomes

Familiarizing with risks and routes of infection related to smoking/inhaling free base drugs.
Strategies to reduce risks, including single-use, single-user gear.

Discussion Topics
Gear tour- identify and familiarize best practice uses of:

Hand washing
Glass stems
Vinyl mouthpieces
brass/steel filters
Wooden push sticks
Bubbler pipes
Swabs
Vaseline
Condoms and lube

Strategies for lung care.

Strategies for burn/wound care for mouths and fingers.

Safer inhalation facilities
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-MaVSvjtI4

Risks associated with steel wool (Brillo) screens

Small pieces of steel wool can come off and can cause burns on the lips and mouth.
There is also a danger of deeper inhalation or ingestion, which can cause burns in the airways and along the tract to the stomach.

Why do harm reduction services provide brass screens?

Using screens rather than steel wool helps avoid some of the injuries associated with using steel wool as a makeshift screen such as burns, and inhalation and ingestion of steel.

What if I like using steel wool better than the brass screens?

Many users find that the screens are difficult to use and don’t provide the same results as using steel wool. To help make using steel wool safer, wrapping the screen around the steel wool completely also prevents the inhalation and ingestions of steel particles.

​Safer Inhalation Practices

Safer Inhalation Practices