HIV needle risk behaviors and drug use: A comparison of crack-smoking and nonsmoking injection drug users in Ohio

This study compares the drug use and needle risk behaviors among 733 crack- smoking injection drug users (IDUs) and 518 nonsmoking IDUs. Participants w ere recruited in Dayton and Columbus, Ohio, for the Cooperative Agreement f or AIDS Community-Based Outreach/Intervention Research Program from 1992 to 1996. Crack-smoking IDUs were more likely to be male, African-American, an d 30 to 40 years of age, but less likely to be married or living with a sex partner compared to nonsmokers. Daily crack users were less likely to be d aily injectors but more likely to use alcohol daily when compared to non-cr ack users and less-than-daily crack smokers. IDUs who smoked crack less tha n daily were more likely to have injected with needles and syringes used by others. There is an urgent need for additional research on the relationshi p between drug injection and crack smoking as well as improved HIV risk-red uction interventions that include drug abuse treatment components focusing on issues surrounding crack-cocaine addiction.