To think this is a sign of drug use?

[Pikawhoo]

(Sorry, bit yucky/grim).

... drops of blood in the communal stairwell?

It's a regular occurrence. We live in a side bit of a council block, with a set of stairs that just lead up to our flat but are connected to a main stairwell. In recent weeks, I've often opened the door to find a homeless person (rarely ever the same person) sleeping on the landing just below.

There are also often these inexplicable drops of blood on the communal stairs and the walls, just like 2 or 3 drops.

Is this a sign that somebody is shooting up there?

I'm probably a bit naive but this was the only explanation I could think of, and it makes me feel really funny and unsafe about the people sleeping on my stairs.

(Also... what do I do about it? It's a closed building that you should only be able to get into with a key fob or by being buzzed in, but it's obviously pretty easy for anyone to slip in after a resident).

I think it's legitimate to call the police regarding this and ask for a neighbourhood officer or PCSO to make a visit - if it's a frequent issue they could make a regular " fly by" at the relevant times. They will also undoubtably be looking for intelligence about neighbours with V frequent comings and goings - visitors staying a short while before leaving. This kind of information can assist in building a case against a tenant both for investigative purposes or eviction purposes. For this reason I would also make sure the landlord or management agent are informed. Sorry hope that makes sense - on phone

Hi backtowork tap or bottled water isnt sterile, though ive heard of people using puddle water and boiling it in a spoon, you can get ampuoles of sterile water but these are expensive and some (probably most) councils dont provide them in needle exchange.

Needles tend to get re-used, although the advice is one hit, one needle - them damage to veins can be horrendous.

Second what bill says above, problems usually escalate over time and while drug users tend to try and keep things discrete, there is no reason not to report it.

I feel quite enlightened reading this thread! Unpleasant but quite interesting

As well as the police, council and building management - you could try your local drug treatment service - in my experience nothing makes drug users shift location quicker than an outreach worker starting up a conversation.

Having a herioin addict in the family really enlightens you to the depths that people can sink to that's for sure. It's an evil drug and the people that sell it are scum.

I agree leopard.

Yeah I agree that they're not homeless, they're shooting up and you've got a smack dealer in the building. Tell the council.

It's a horrible drug

Thank you everyone. I contacted the people at the council and they told me that they were aware of the drug problem and in the middle of taking legal action. So I guess there was somebody dealing in the building, and I was pretty much the last to twig.

The things you learn on Mumsnet!

Before you said floor and walls I would have thought a bitch on heat, tbh.

I've never heard of drawing blood before injecting it back in, but maybe that's what the kidz are doing these days.
It used to be just water and citric acid cooked up with the powder when I were a lad. You do get a "flash back" of blood when it goes in though.

I'd be very uncomfortable too, OP, and would contact the police tbh.

It's seemed quieter lately, but there's the packaging from a (single) alcohol sterilising wipe on my stairs this morning. Would that be likely to be used to sterilise an injection site?

Yes.

It's what you're given at needle exchanges.

Would the layout enable the possibility of a second front door at the bottom of your stairs? If so I would be hounding your landlord to get a security door installed to block off your stairs. It is disgusting that you have to put up with this. Yes I know, poor addicts, cant wait a second for their fix. It's fucking rank and you shouldn't have to put up with it op. Your stairway shouldn't be a safe little druggy hangout.

The man could have God knows what's wrong with him. Just because he's homeless doesn't necessarily means drugs. Don't touch or lick it and your problem is solved.

What a rude, dismissive post. No one, particularly a parent want to see drops of blood from God knows whom in their communal area. Children can trip, drop stuff, put their hands on the ground etc etc. It is not acceptable.

We regularly get users in the toilets at work, one particular case we had was where we opened a side room and found blood sprayed up the walls, over the floors. They'd obviously hit a bloody good vein, god knows how they managed to leave in one piece.

Glad that the council are dealing with it, if you see a PCSO/Police officer maybe ask them if they could pop by every now and again to check. It may help reassure you that you're not stuck there with them.