Injecting in the arms is the least dangerous location. The loss of usable arm veins will leave the injector with stark choices: either to stop injecting and switch to another route of administration, or to move to another site on the body with greater risks. It is for this reason that injectors should be encouraged to do everything they can to preserve the veins in their arm for as long as possible. It is important that workers seeing clients who are having difficulty accessing veins in their arms discuss with them the plans they have for the time when it becomes impossible. Reinforcing any taboos the client has about moving to more dangerous sites may help prevent or delay transitions to more dangerous routes of injection. If he or she does not have any taboos, you should try to talk to him / her in a more direct and objective way to avoid a lack of trust or rejection. Provide strategies for maintaining vein health( see Safer Injecting Practices listed previously in this document).
Hands
The veins on the backs of the hands can be highly visible, although they tend to be small and fragile. As it can be difficult to hide the evidence of injecting here, many injectors avoid these sites. Furthermore, if complications such as infection or cellulites occur, they are likely to be much more disabling in the hand than in the arm and lead to severe problems, especially if rings are on the fingers. Fingers should be avoided, as the veins are very small. If clients insist on injecting in their fingers, they should understand the vital importance of