Impact of COVID-19 and associated restrictions on people who inject drugs in New South Wales:

Findings from the Illicit Drug Reporting System 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on travel and gathering have likely had major impacts on drug supply, use and harms and there have been significant challenges with delivery of drug treatment and harm reduction services. People who use drugs may also be at increased risk of COVID-19 transmission because of the social nature of drug procurement and use. There have been urgent calls for evidence regarding the experiences of people who use drugs during the COVID-10 pandemic to inform public health efforts. Recognising the critical need for information, the IDRS project has been adapted to collect important data on people’s experiences during COVID-19. As such, this bulletin represents findings from 155 interviews undertaken in Sydney, NSW, between 24th June 2020 to 30th August 2020, as part of the IDRS.