Patterns of injection drug use cessation during an expansion of syringe exchange services in a Canadian setting

Background Needle and syringe programmes (NSPs) have been shown to reduce HIV risk among people who inject drugs (IDUs). However, concerns remain that NSPs delay injecting cessation. Methods Individuals reporting injection drug use in the past six months in the greater Vancouver area were enrolled in the Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study (VIDUS). Annual estimates of the proportion of IDU reporting injecting cessation were generated. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) analysis was used to assess factors associated with injecting cessation during a period of NSP expansion. Results Between May 1996 and December 2010, the number of NSP sites in Vancouver increased from 1 to 29 (P