A strange and dangerous drug trend is spreading in different parts of the world, and health experts are deeply concerned.
It is called “bluetoothing.” The name might sound like a tech term, but it has nothing to do with phones or wireless devices.
Bluetoothing is a street practice where one person injects themselves with a drug, then another person injects that first user's blood into their own body to get high.
A Dangerous Shortcut
The idea behind it is simple but extremely dangerous – people are trying to save money and still get a “buzz.”
In places where drug prices have gone up and supply has dropped, users have found this shortcut to be a cheaper alternative. But it is one of the most unsafe ways to use drugs, even more dangerous than sharing needles.
Rising HIV Cases In Fiji And South Africa
Public health experts say this practice is fueling a rise in HIV infections in several parts of the world, including Fiji and South Africa. Both countries are already struggling with high infection rates, and now bluetoothing has made things worse.
“In settings of severe poverty, it is a cheap method of getting high with a lot of consequences,” Brian Zanoni, an Emory University professor who has studied drug injecting behaviours in South Africa, told The New York Times.
“You are basically getting two doses for the price of one,” he added.
A Growing Crisis in Fiji
In Fiji, the situation has become serious enough for authorities to call it an outbreak.
UN AIDS data shows that new HIV cases have shot up tenfold since 2014. Around half of the people newly diagnosed and on treatment say they got infected by sharing needles.
It is not always clear who is specifically sharing blood, but the pattern shows how fast the virus can spread through unsafe drug use. The spike in infections is mostly among young people aged 15 to 34.
“We're Seeing Young Kids Dying”
Eamonn Murphy, who heads UN AIDS regional support teams for Asia Pacific, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe, says the numbers are alarming. “We are seeing young kids dying from HIV, children who have been involved in drug use and sex,” he said.
He explained that bluetoothing is only one part of a bigger problem - limited access to clean needles, unsafe sex, and social stigma around drug use all play a role.
How Bluetoothing Works
The way bluetoothing works is simple. The first person injects a drug like heroin or methamphetamine. Then another person draws some of that drug-laced blood from the first person's vein and injects it into themselves.
The theory is that some of the drug still remains in the blood and gives a similar high. But medical experts say it rarely works as intended.
A Global Pattern
Still, the trend has been showing up in more places. In Tanzania, the same practice is known as “flashblooding.” It started in urban areas and then spread to suburbs, where women in temporary housing were found to be particularly at risk.
In South Africa, Zanoni's research found that around 18 percent of people who inject drugs had tried this method. Pakistan, too, has seen similar behaviour – where users sell half-used, blood-filled syringes.
Root Causes
Experts link all this to poverty, lack of education about drug risks, and sudden jumps in drug prices.
“It's the same combination of poverty and lack of awareness, as well as cheap drugs being introduced and then the price going up,” said Mr Murphy.
“The real challenge will be dealing with introduction of harm reduction programs” in Fiji, he added, where stigma against drug use remains a significant challenge.
More Than Just HIV Risk
Beyond HIV, the danger of bluetoothing lies in the blood itself. Even tiny amounts can be harmful. If blood types don't match, it can cause serious reactions – and that's before you even consider viruses like HIV or hepatitis.
“Per drop of blood from a person with H.I.V., there's tens and thousands of particles you're being exposed to,” said Mr Zanoni, calling the practice “underexplored but super high-risk.”
Catherine Cook, the executive director of Harm Reduction International, put it plainly: “It's the perfect way of spreading HIV. It's a wake-up call for health systems and governments -- the speed with which you can end up with a massive spike of infection because of the efficiency of transmission.”