Background: Much research has been conducted on the risk taking behaviour of injecting drug users. Cutaneous or subcutaneous skin and soft tissue abscesses are common complications of intravenous drug use.

Aim: To identify the risk factors to which injecting drug users expose themselves to improve initial assessment.

Method: A convenience sampling method was used, and structured interviews were carried out with 70 injecting drug users attending a methadone treatment setting in Dublin.

Results and discussion: Forty eight (69%) of participants have had an abscess at some stage. Poor levels of skin cleansing were identified as a main cause, and 80% admitted to sharing injecting equipment.

Conclusion: Healthcare professionals need to develop better strategies for delivering safety messages to clients about safer injecting behaviour.