Fortier E, et al. - In Montréal, Canada, researchers performed this cohort study investigating the predictive value of injecting cessation episodes over one- to three-months for acquiring hepatitis C virus (HCV). Between March 2011 and June 2016, enrollment of 372 HCV-uninfected (HCV RNA negative, HCV antibody positive or negative) people who inject drugs (mean age 39, 82% male, 45% HCV antibody positive) was done. Participants were asked to complete an interviewer-administered questionnaire and were tested for HCV particles at three-month intervals. The cohort commonly displayed short and sporadic injecting cessation episodes. Findings suggest a protective effect of injecting cessation episodes against acquiring hepatitis C virus. This was especially noted when cessation was sustained for at least three months.