Have COVID-19 restrictions affected needle and syringe program transactions in Tasmania?

August 2020
Citation: 
Bruno, R., Wilson, T., & Briggs, M. (2020). Have COVID-19 restrictions affected needle and syringe program transactions in Tasmania? Drug Trends Bulletin Series. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant impacts on how people interact and travel. Given that much of the drugs consumed in Tasmania are imported from mainland states or overseas, it is likely the case that there have been disruptions in the supply of drugs in the state. 

In this report we have compiled data from all seven primary Needle and Syringe program outlets across Tasmania (one in the North; two in the North West; three in the South plus one secondary outlet in the South) to examine potential changes in service access between October 2019 (the start of electronic data collection) and June 2020.

Read the full bulletin on the NDARC website.