ABSTRACT
The identification of HIV infection among injecting drug users during the 1980s forced a radical rethinking of the nature of the problems and of the appropriateness and effectiveness of existing services. At about the same time, other changes were occurring. These included the appearance of heroin smoking (‘chasing the dragon’) and the smoking of crack cocaine, and increased numbers of users. In general, the period since the rapid changes of the 1980s has been characterised by gradual developments and the consolidation of treatment responses.
