Health hazards perception of intravenous application of psychoactive drugs in addicted group

The addiction psychoactive substances currently represents a major problem. The number of users of such substances has been increasing. The intravenous application of psychoactive substances is associated with many health risks. Transmission and spreading of infection is associated mainly with frequent sharing and use of needles, syringes and other instruments among the users. In recent years the spreading of hepatitides (particularly VHC) has been reported as one of serious consequences of addiction to psychoactive substances, particularly in case of intravenous application. Protection against the spreading of diseases consist mainly in the prevention. The objective of the thesis is to verify whether the people addicted to psychoactive substances are aware of risks of transmission and spreading of infectious diseases (particularly VHC) as a result of intravenous application. The research was conducted on a group of drug addicts intercepted in the network of contact center and on a group of drug addicts in a therapeutic program of a psychiatric facility. I have used the method of inquiry in the form of questionnaires. In the thesis I set five hypotheses. The first, the third and the fifth hypotheses have been confirmed. The second and the fourth hypotheses have not been confirmed. The results of the research may be used by facilities providing low-threshold services as a part of secondary and tertiary prevention and harm reduction. It may also serve as source of information for workers dealing with anti-drug issues