A one day Drugs, Bugs & Foils Training course was held in Barra on 9^th March, facilitated by the Scottish Drugs Forum in conjunction with the Outer Hebrides Alcohol & Drug Partnership.

The training was aimed at drug workers, housing workers, social workers, GPs and Nurses, pharmacy staff, mental health workers, teachers and other individuals who come into contact with people who use drugs.

The training provided a brief overview of bacterial infection and various outbreaks and gave the opportunity to explore harm reduction information relevant to bacterial infection; an overview of the main signs and symptoms which practitioners should be aware of.

It also raised the confidence in practitioners, who work with injecting drug users, to raise the topic of transitioning to foil use and other harm reduction initiatives.

The training covered methods of using drugs and the risks attached to these, physiological differences for each method of use, reasons for moving from smoking to injecting and vice versa as well as practical demonstrations such as how to make a pipe.

For further information please contact Angela Grant, ADP Development Officer, Health Promotion Department, tel. 01851 762021 or email: angela.adp@nhs.net