Needle exchange and harm reduction services in Tower Hamlets

Harm reduction services

Harm reduction promotes ‘safer’ drug use. There are now a number of services in Tower Hamlets that provide sterile needles and syringes as well as providing advice on safer injecting and a full range of harm reduction advice and support including access to health screening, immunisation and sexual health services.

You can protect yourself (and others) from serious infections if you..

Use new sterile injecting equipment every time, and never share:

• needles and syringes
• spoons or cookers
• water
• filters, or
• acids.

Create a ‘safe space’ for preparing your hit

You can do this by getting it together on a surface that you can throw away afterwards (like a newspaper or magazine).

Always dispose of used injecting equipment safely.

Use a sharps bin to store used equipment until you can take it back to the needle exchange.

Always wash your hands and the injecting site.

If you inject drugs you will always inject some bacteria as well. Your immune system will usually find the bacteria and kill them. But sometimes they will cause an infection. This is usually because it is a powerful infection or you have injected a lot of bacteria or your body can’t fight off the infection because you are unwell or your circulation isn’t very good.

If you are prone to infections then take extra care washing your hands and keep your injecting sites clean.

Hepatitis B: Get vaccinated

There is a vaccination against hepatitis B. All drug users and their close families should have it. If you have been vaccinated, you can’t catch hepatitis B (but you could still catch hepatitis C or HIV).

Harm reduction and needle exchange services in Tower Hamlets

A full range of open-access harm reduction services including needle exchange, access to health screening, immunisation and sexual health services are now available at the following services:

Tower Hamlets Community Drug Team

Mon - Fri 9:30 – 5:30

71 Johnson Street
London E1 0AQ

Tel: 020 7790 1344

ISIS (Women Only Service)

Mon, Tues, Weds, Fri
9:30am—5.30pm
Thurs 9.30pm – 8.00pm

C/O Hopetown Hostel
60 Old Montague Street
London E1 5NJ

Tel: 020 7426 0399

Specialist Addiction Unit

Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm
(closed 1pm – 2pm)

Beaumont House
Mile End Hospital
Bancroft Road
London E1 4DG

Tel: 020 8121 5301

In addition to the above services, needle exchange is also available at:

Dellow Day Centre

Mon – Fri 9.30am – 12.00pm, 1.30pm – 3.30pm

80-82 Wentworth Street
London E1 7SA

T: 020 7375 0020

Lincoln Pharmacy

Mon – Fri 9am – 7pm

Sat 9am – 4pm

60 St Paul’s Way, E3 4AL

T: 020 7538 0817

Rigcharm Pharmacy

Mon – Fri 9am – 7pm,
Sat 10am – 5pm

93 Watney Street
London E1 2QE

Tel: 020 7790 9150

CubittTown Pharmacy

Mon – Fri 9am – 5:30pm, Sat 9am – 12:30pm

143 Manchester Road
London E14 3DN

T: 020 7987 1487