Health experts are sounding the alarm about a dangerous new trend among drug users called bluetoothing — a practice that could spark a fresh wave of HIV infections in places like Fiji and South Africa.
What is bluetoothing?
Bluetoothing is a street‑level trick that turns a single drug injection into multiple high‑hits. A user injects heroin, meth or another strong drug, pulls a small amount of the drug‑laden blood back into the syringe, and then gives it to someone else. The process is often repeated from one person to the next, sometimes with the same needle.
The idea is to get a “second‑hand” high while saving money. A study by Emory University professor Brian Zanoni in South Africa found many people in deep poverty do this to stretch a single dose. Whether it really works is unclear: some say the secondhand injection delivers a weaker buzz, others think it’s mostly placebo.
Why the practice is so risky
Doctors warn that bluetoothing exposes users to serious health threats, especially the spread of HIV. Unlike ordinary needle‑sharing, the direct blood transfer bypasses the body’s defenses, so any virus in the first person’s bloodstream goes straight into the next.
Other dangers include:
- HIV – The biggest concern. The practice can move the virus quickly and silently into new people.
- Hepatitis B & C – Both viruses can be passed through shared blood and attack the liver.
- Blood‑type reactions – If a person’s blood type doesn’t match, they can get a severe, sometimes fatal, immune reaction.
- Bacterial infections – Open wounds can get bacteria from the needle, leading to serious infections.
People who use meth are especially vulnerable because the drug weakens immune systems.
Where bluetoothing is spreading
The first cases appeared in Tanzania in 2010 among heavy drug users in temporary housing. Since then, the trend has spread across Africa, Pacific islands, and other regions.
- South Africa – About 1 in 5 intravenous drug users admitted trying bluetoothing.
- Pakistan – Reports of street vendors selling syringes full of drug‑laced blood.
- Fiji – The most dramatic spike. New HIV cases in Fiji have jumped tenfold between 2014 and 2024. Injectable drug use now accounts for 48 % of new infections, and the outbreak has been officially declared a national crisis.
People as young as 13 have tested positive, and public health officials predict over 3,000 new HIV cases by the end of 2025, up from fewer than 500 in 2014.
The public‑health impact
Fiji’s health system is already stretched thin. Nurses and treatment centers are overwhelmed, and many facilities lack the resources to manage the rapid spread of HIV. José Sousa‑Santos, head of the Pacific Regional Security Hub at the University of Canterbury, says, “We’re looking at the beginning of a major health avalanche.”
Without better prevention tools, clean needle programs, and widespread testing, the grey‑sized crisis could grow even larger.
What can be done
Experts stress three key actions:
- Expand clean‑needle exchange programs to prevent direct blood transfer.
- Increase HIV testing and early treatment access, especially for people aged 15‑34.
- Run community education campaigns that explain the real risks of bluetoothing and share safer‑use practices.
Until these measures are in place, the risky practice of bluetoothing may keep fueling new infections across the region.
Source: New York Post
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