Injectors at risk of infection due to sharing equipment responded best to brief risk-reduction counselling based on motivational rather than educational principles, offering a way to augment the benefits of harm reduction services.

Key points from summary and commentary
• This study tested the effectiveness of a brief intervention based on motivational interviewing (versus one based on education and information only) to reduce risky injecting behaviours.
• Participants were recruited from community-based harm reduction programmes. One of the main activities at the site of recruitment was the provision of clean drug preparation and consumption equipment.
• Reported risky injecting behaviours decreased in both intervention groups, but decreased more in the motivational interviewing group