A disturbing and deadly drug trend known as “bluetoothing” is alarming health officials around the world. The practice involves injecting oneself with the blood of someone who has already taken drugs, in an attempt to get a cheaper “secondary high,” according to a report from The New York Times.
Health experts warn that this risky behavior is far more dangerous than traditional needle sharing, which has long been known to transmit HIV and hepatitis. The United Nations reports that bluetoothing—also referred to as “hotspotting”—is contributing to a sharp increase in HIV infections, especially among people ages 15 to 34. The trend is spreading rapidly in countries such as Fiji, South Africa, and others across Africa and Asia, where rising drug prices and strict enforcement have made narcotics harder to access.
The process is both simple and perilous: one person injects a drug such as heroin or methamphetamine, then draws some of their blood for others to inject in hopes of sharing the effect. In Fiji, the results have been devastating—new HIV cases have increased tenfold since 2014. Authorities there cite bluetoothing as a major cause of this surge.
“I saw the needle with the blood—it was right there in front of me,” said Kalesi Volatabu, executive director of Drug Free World-Fiji, in an interview with the BBC. “This young woman had just taken her shot, and she was drawing her blood for others. People were lining up to take their turn.”
Maj. Gen. Khomo Mohobo of the Lesotho Defence Force told The Guardian that young people with limited funds often pool their money to buy drugs that one person uses, allowing others to “bluetooth” from them. Despite the perceived cost savings, experts say the supposed high is usually weak or even nonexistent—while the health risks are severe.
Those dangers include rapid transmission of HIV and other bloodborne diseases, as well as life-threatening blood incompatibility reactions. In Tanzania, the practice—known locally as “flashblooding”—has spread beyond city centers into suburbs, hitting impoverished and transient populations the hardest.
Disturbingly, reports from Pakistan indicate that used, blood-filled syringes are even being resold on the streets, intensifying the threat.
Health organizations worldwide are urging governments to increase drug education, treatment access, and enforcement efforts to stop the spread of bluetoothing before the crisis worsens.