Harm Reduction Study through Pub Med
Study on the
Sterifilt in the EU. This is an alternative to the micron filters found on Amazon.com or other websites. This filter is specifically designed for IVDU and the company will ship globally.
"Injection drug use syringe filters (IDUSF) are designed to prevent several complications related to the injection of drugs. Due to their small pore size, their use can reduce the solution's insoluble particle content and thus diminish the prevalence of phlebitis, talcosis.... Their low drug retention discourages from filter reuse and sharing and can thus prevent viral and microbial infections."
"Factors found to significantly influence filter preference were duration and frequency of injecting drug use, the type of drugs injected and subculture. Furthermore, IDU's rationale for the preference of one type of filter over others was explored. It was found that filter preference depends on perceived health benefits (reduced harms, prevention of vein damage, protection of injection sites), drug retention (low retention: better high, protective mechanism against the reuse of filters; high retention: filter reuse as a protective mechanism against withdrawal), technical and practical issues (filter clogging, ease of use, time needed to prepare an injection) and believes (the conviction that a clear solution contains less active compound)."
"All filters used by injecting drug users (IDUs) will eliminate some of these particles, but not with the same efficacy. The size of the majority of insoluble particles involved in the development of talcosis due to injecting drug use is within the range of 9 μm to 23 μm (medium of 14 μm) [
11]. Cigarette filters, commonly used by injecting drug users, eliminate less than half of all particles above 10 μm [
12]. Injecting drug use syringe filters (IDUSF) have been specifically conceived for drug use and are capable of eliminating the large majority of insoluble particles [
13]."
Yes I don't know how it affects the strength but I'm certain it does. I mean off depends on what your using . T his was just got heroin. I mean to give u an example if I was to use a .22 first it would clog like u says . This was surprising as the stuff seems to be nearly fully soluble. Only saying that because no visible particles can be seen. Then even more surprisingly it actually t turned the colour of the gear back to water .almost clear. It's like the 22 micron can filter back out the heroin. Then again is that surprising if it can remove bacteria?
"Another important characteristic of a filter is its capacity to retain drugs, as the retention of a considerable proportion of the active compound can incite drug users to hold on to their filter and to reuse it later or even to share or sell it [
15]. The conservation and reuse of filters puts IDUs at risk of bacterial and fungal infections, and filter sharing is a known risk factor for hepatitis C transmission [
16,
17]; sharing of paraphernalia other than syringes might even be a key element in the ongoing hepatitis C epidemic.
IDUSF are specifically designed to retain as little active compound as possible, without the necessity to add extra rinses to the filtration process; this is susceptible to increase their acceptability and to reduce sharing."
"The characteristics of the Sterifilt® are the following: it eliminates 99% of insoluble particles, and is additionally effective at shifting the particle size distribution towards the smaller range, with approximately 95% of all particles present after filtration measuring less than 5 μm [
12].
This filter retains virtually no drug (0.02 ml), as opposed to cigarette and makeshift filters which retain about 0.13 ml [13]."
"Several presumptions about current practices may act as a barrier to syringe filter use, such as the idea that someone's current filtration technique is efficient in eliminating particles, or that some drugs don't need filtration because no insoluble particles are visible in the solution. However, clear solutions are not always free of them, as some potentially harmful insoluble particles are invisible to the naked eye [
22]."
"IDUSF can thus substantially reduce some very common injection related Public Health issues, like the incidence of small vessel blockage and subsequent medical complications [
12,
18]."
"
The majority of the buprenorphine injectors (64%) used an IDUSF. The starch present in these tablets gives rise to several complications such as the puffy hand syndrome. Furthermore, complications at the injection site are more frequent among buprenorphine injectors [19]. "
"A second category includes heroin and cocaine, for which 39% versus 33% used an IDUSF. The main argument for using syringe filters is the preservation of health; their use is facilitated by the relative lack of technical difficulties (e.g. the membrane hardly ever gets clogged by these drugs). The main arguments mentioned by this population for the continued use of cotton filters are the conservation and re-use of "old cottons" and the assumption that filtration of these drugs is less important than filtration of pharmaceuticals."
"Several participants mentioned that the membrane can become clogged, which is attributable to its small pore size, combined with a high density and insoluble particle content of the solution. Membrane obstruction is thus more frequent with pill injection and particularly with the injection of morphine sulphate."
Keijzer L, Imbert E. The filter of choice: filtration method preference among injecting drug users. Harm Reduct J. 2011 Aug 22;8:20. doi: 10.1186/1477-7517-8-20. PMID: 21859488; PMCID: PMC3176466.