Access to harm reduction services in Atlantic Canada: Implications for non-urban residents who inject drugs

Houselessness and syringe service program utilization among people who inject drugs in eight rural areas across the USA: a cross-sectional analysis

BACKGROUND

Research conducted in urban areas has highlighted the impact of housing instability on people who inject drugs (PWID), revealing that it exacerbates vulnerability to drug-related harms and impedes syringe service program (SSP) use. However, few studies have explored the effects of houselessness on SSP use among rural PWID. This study examines the relationship between houselessness and SSP utilization among PWID in eight rural areas across 10 states.

METHODS

PWID were recruited using respondent-driven sampling for a cross-sectional survey that queried self-reported drug use and SSP utilization in the prior 30 days, houselessness in the prior 6 months and sociodemographic characteristics. Using binomial logistic regression, we examined the relationship between experiencing houselessness and any SSP use. To assess the relationship between houselessness and the frequency of SSP use, we conducted multinomial logistic regression analyses among participants reporting any past 30-day SSP use.

RESULTS

Among 2394 rural PWID, 56.5% had experienced houselessness in the prior 6 months, and 43.5% reported past 30-day SSP use. PWID who had experienced houselessness were more likely to report using an SSP compared to their housed counterparts (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.24 [95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.01, 1.52]). Among those who had used an SSP at least once (n = 972), those who experienced houselessness were just as likely to report SSP use two (aOR = 0.90 [95% CI 0.60, 1.36]) and three times (aOR = 1.18 [95% CI 0.77, 1.98]) compared to once. However, they were less likely to visit an SSP four or more times compared to once in the prior 30 days (aOR = 0.59 [95% CI 0.40, 0.85]).

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence that rural PWID who experience houselessness utilize SSPs at similar or higher rates as their housed counterparts. However, housing instability may pose barriers to more frequent SSP use. These findings are significant as people who experience houselessness are at increased risk for drug-related harms and encounter additional challenges when attempting to access SSPs.

Life-time HIV testing among people who inject drugs in Iran: results from the National Rapid Assessment and Response survey

Background

HIV testing is recommended for people who inject drugs (PWID). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of lifetime HIV testing among PWID and to better understand the predictors for HIV testing in a convenience sample across Iran.

Materials and methods

This study is a secondary analysis of Iran's National Rapid Assessment and Response survey conducted between October 2016 and March 2017. Analysis includes the 999 people who reported injecting drugs across the capital cities of 21 provinces. Data were collected by using the venue-based application of the Time Location Sampling (TLS) frame. Chi-square tests were used to examine the difference between HIV testing across different quantitative variables. Logistic regression was used to determine the predictors of life-time HIV testing. Analysis was performed using STATA V.12 software with a significance level of 95%.

Results

Most participants were male (n = 902, 93.50%), and over half (n = 555, 59.17%) were older than 35 years old. About one-third, (n = 326, 38%) of people interviewed were single and another one-third (n = 251, 29%) reported being divorced. Over two-thirds of participants (n = 678, 69.78%) in this study reported lifetime HIV testing. The results from a multiple variable logistic regression showed people with a university education were more likely to have been previously tested for HIV than illiterate people (OR = 18.87, 95%CI 2.85-124.6, value of p = 0.002). Those individuals who reported ever receiving methadone treatment were 2.8 times more likely to have been tested for HIV than individuals without methadone treatment experience (OR = 2.89, 95%CI 1.53-5.42, value of p < 0.001). Needle syringe sharing in last month, was negatively associated with life-time HIV testing (OR = 0.29, 95%CI 0.17-0.48, value of p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Despite Iran's wide availability and access to counseling services for HIV testing in key populations, the proportion of PWID being tested for HIV could be improved. Developing effective strategies to increase people's understanding and awareness of the importance of and need for HIV prevention and familiarity with HIV testing sites is an essential step in increasing HIV testing for this population. Studies on more recent HIV testing are required to better assess and understand the frequency of HIV testing among PWID in Iran.

A scoping review of qualitative research on barriers and facilitators to the use of supervised consumption services

A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that supervised consumption services (SCS) mitigate a variety of drug-related harms, including decreasing overdose deaths, infectious disease transmission, and connecting people who use drugs (PWUD) to various health and social services. Research on SCS has predominantly been quantitative, though qualitative research on these services has increased substantially over the last decade. Qualitative methods provide a framework for developing a richer and more nuanced understanding of meanings and contexts associated with drug use, health service implementation, and experience. We present findings from a scoping review of qualitative studies on experiences of PWUD with SCS published between 1997 and 2022. In total, forty-two papers were included in this analysis. Four primary themes emerged from our analysis: 1) Influence of SCS on health and wellbeing among PWUD, 2) the physical environment of SCS can be both a facilitator and barrier to use, 3) social resources can shape and reshape the context within which PWUD benefit from SCS, and 4) various intersecting forces at play both support and harm PWUD in relation to their experiences with SCS. We discuss the primary facilitators and barriers of SCS use and conclude with suggestions to inform future qualitative research, SCS implementation, and PWUD-centered approaches to drug policy.

Accessing needle exchange services in disasters for remote areas of Aotearoa New Zealand

BACKGROUND

Needle Exchange Programme (NEP) mobile outreach services in Aotearoa New Zealand distribute injecting equipment to people who inject drugs (PWID) living in remote regions. In disasters, continued access to such services is imperative for the health and wellbeing of PWID. Disasters can compound existing inequities, particularly in regions characterised by poor or limited infrastructure, smaller populations, and challenging socioeconomic conditions. To gain insight into the barriers that prevent access to NEP harm-reduction services and understand the needs of PWID prior to and during disasters, this study foregrounds the voices of PWID based on the West Coast of the South Island, Aotearoa New Zealand.

METHODS

This qualitative study applied an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach, where 14 PWID and one key NEP staff member took part in semi-structured interviews. The interviews provided the opportunity for participants to share their experiences and perspectives about accessing sterile drug-injecting equipment during disasters, including the four-week COVID-19 Level 4 lockdown in March 2020. In total five superordinate and 14 subordinate themes were identified from the interveiws.

RESULTS

This study focuses on four of the key themes that impacted accessibility to NEP services: infrastructural hazards and equipment costs; social capital and practical support from peers and key contact networks; social stigma in public locations, including NEP-based pharmacies and emergency centres; and potential solutions to NEP equipment accessibility as frequently suggested by participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Access to NEP services is essential during natural hazard and human-generated disasters, as such NEP mobile outreach services and disaster resilience efforts should focus on maintaining service continuity for PWID during adverse times. This study champions a needs-based, stigma free approach to inclusive harm-reduction and emergency management practices for groups with specific needs in a disaster context.

The "goldfish bowl": a qualitative study of the effects of heightened surveillance on people who use drugs in a rural and coastal Canadian setting

BACKGROUND

A growing body of research has focused on contextual factors that shape health and well-being of people who use drugs (PWUD). However, most of this research focuses on large cities and less is known about the effects of social and structural contexts on drug use and associated risks in rural Canadian settings. Therefore, we undertook this study to examine rural-specific contextual factors that affect the day-to-day experiences of PWUD.

METHODS

Twenty-seven qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with PWUD in a rural and coastal setting in British Columbia, Canada. Participants had to be ≥ 19 years old, used illegal opioids and/or stimulants regularly, and lived in the qathet region. Interview transcripts were coded based on themes identified by the research team.

RESULTS

Participants described progressive shifts in politics and culture in the qathet region while also identifying resource scarcity, homelessness, and changes in the drug supply, where illicit drug contents have become highly toxic and unpredictable. Participants discussed the qualities of a small community where everyone knows each other and there is a lack of privacy and confidentiality around drug use, which resulted in experiences of stigma, discrimination, and surveillance. Participants also reported rural-specific policing issues and experiences of surveillance on ferries when traveling to larger cities to purchase drugs. This led to significantly higher drug prices for PWUD due to the time dedication and criminalized risks associated with drug possession and trafficking.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings illustrate the unique experiences faced by PWUD in a rural and coastal setting. The "goldfish bowl" effect in this rural community created heightened social and structural surveillance of PWUD, which led to a variety of negative consequences. There is a clear need for interventions to address the larger contextual drivers affecting people who use drugs in rural settings, including decriminalization and peer-led anti-stigma strategies, in order to improve the lives of PWUD.

Comparison of Psychopathologic Characteristics between Individuals Undergoing Methadone Maintenance Treatment, Opioid Dependents, and Control Group

BACKGROUND

Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) can theoretically reduce the psychosocial harms of opioid dependency. The increasing number of MMT clinics in Iran during the last two decades was not accompanied by a reduction in addiction rates. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the psychopathological characteristics of individuals on MMT, opioid dependents, and a control group in the Iranian population.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted in Mashhad to evaluate the psychopathological profile of 99 participants (33 opioid-dependent individuals [ODI], 33 MMT clients, and 33 controls) using the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) questionnaire and demographic form. Parametric and non-parametric tests were used to compare the mean score of symptoms between the three groups. The Spearman correlation test was used to test the correlation of psychological features with age and dependency duration.

FINDINGS

There was no significant difference between MMT clients and ODI regarding the Global Severity Index (GSI) and nine items of the SCL-90-R questionnaire. However, a significant difference was found between the controls and two other groups (P<0.001). Paranoid ideation in the ODI was more frequent compared to MMT clients significantly (P=0.015). Psychological characteristics had a direct correlation with dependency duration and an inverse correlation with age (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Psychopathologic features observed in the dependent patients and MMT clients were significantly higher than in the control group. It seems that the psychopathology profile in MMT clients was not better than dependent individuals in Iran.

Dealing with low access to harm reduction: a qualitative study of the strategies and risk environments of people who use drugs in a small Swedish city

BACKGROUND

The development of harm reduction has been limited in many areas of Sweden. This study aims to understand the implications that this has for the life circumstances and risk management of people who use drugs in areas of low access.

METHODS

Eleven qualitative, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with people who use drugs in a small urban centre with no needle and syringe exchange program (NSP) or Housing First policy.

RESULTS

Participants reported many solutions to lack of NSP, including travel to an external NSP, creating bridging distribution networks, stealing, borrowing, reusing, ordering online, and smuggling injection equipment. They were at risk of having their equipment confiscated by police. Participants were mostly homeless, and to address exclusion from housing services, were forced to frequently find new temporary solutions, sheltering themselves in public places, with friends, in cars, among others. Participants felt the lack of services reflected stigmatized notions of drug use and heightened their exclusion from general society. For example, they avoided accessing other health care services for fear of discrimination. These issues caused high levels of stress and anxiety, in addition to serious risk for many somatic and psychological health conditions, including HIV and HCV transmission.

CONCLUSION

Lack of harm reduction services placed a great burden on study participants to develop strategies due to gaps in official programming. It also contributes to a vicious cycle of exclusion from services. The implementation of such evidence-based programs will reduce this burden, as well as provide the indirect, symbolic effect of inclusion.

Safety and danger: Perceptions of the implementation of harm reduction programs in two communities in Nova Scotia, Canada

People who use substances (PWUS), and specifically individuals who use injection drugs and/or smoke crack cocaine, experience risks which harm reduction programmes can help reduce. Prior to implementing harm reduction programmes, however, it is critical to understand how programme users and others in the community perceive the programmes as their perceptions may influence implementation. A mixed-methods study asked PWUS and key informants about their perceptions of implementing five harm reduction programmes in their communities, including perceptions of the advantages of the programmes, where best to locate them, and community support. Questionnaires were administered to 160 PWUS, and qualitative interviews were conducted with 11 purposefully sampled key informants. Data were collected in one medium-size and one small-size community/municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada, during 2017-2018. SPSS was used to generate descriptive statistics and means from the quantitative data, and the qualitative data were analysed for key themes using thematic analysis. Both PWUS and key informants perceived numerous advantages of the harm reduction programmes, but some key informants suggested that there might be potential opposition to the implementation of additional needle distribution and disposal programmes in some locations and potential opposition to safer consumption sites. Further research is needed to understand why these programmes were viewed as potentially generating opposition, but findings suggest that a key factor is the association of the programmes with 'danger' because the programmes are directly linked with criminalized drug use. In contrast, the three other programmes are linked to 'safety' because naloxone saves lives, peer navigation programmes support access to existing programmes and detoxification programmes are associated with safety through the reduction/elimination of drug use. Legalization/decriminalization of drugs might help to change the association of some programmes with 'danger' and therefore help support the implementation of harm reduction programmes that appear to be perceived by some as linked to danger.

Examining prevalence and correlates of smoking opioids in British Columbia: opioids are more often smoked than injected

BACKGROUND

British Columbia (BC) is in the midst of an opioid overdose crisis. Since 2017, smoking illicit drugs has been the leading mode of drug administration causing overdose death. Yet, little is known about people who smoke opioids, and factors underlying choice of mode of administration. The study objectives are to identify the prevalence and correlates associated with smoking opioids.

METHODS

The Harm Reduction Client Survey is a monitoring tool used by the BC Centre for Disease Control since 2012. This survey is disseminated to harm reduction sites across BC to understand drug use trends and drug-related harms. We examined data from the survey administered October-December 2019 and performed descriptive, univariate, and multivariate analyses to better understand factors associated with smoking opioids.

RESULTS

A total of 369 people who used opioids in the past 3 days were included, of whom 251 (68.0%) reported smoking opioids. A total of 109 (29.5%) respondents experienced an overdose in the past 6 months; of these 79 (72.5%) smoked opioids. Factors significantly associated with smoking opioids were: living in a small community (AOR =2.41, CI =1.27-4.58), being a woman (AOR = 1.84, CI = 1.03-3.30), age under 30 (AOR = 5.41, CI = 2.19-13.40) or 30-39 (AOR = 2.77, CI = 1.33-5.78) compared to age ≥ 50, using drugs alone (AOR = 2.98, CI = 1.30-6.83), and owning a take-home naloxone kit (AOR = 2.01, CI = 1.08-3.72). Reported use of methamphetamines within the past 3 days was strongly associated with smoking opioids (AOR = 6.48, CI = 3.51-11.96).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight important correlates associated with smoking opioids, particularly the recent use of methamphetamines. These findings identify actions to better respond to the overdose crisis, such as targeted harm reduction approaches, educating on safer smoking, advocating for consumption sites where people can smoke drugs, and providing a regulated supply of opioids that can be smoked.

Syringe Coverage Among People Who Inject Drugs in West Virginia, USA

Ensuring people who inject drugs (PWID) have ≥ 100% sterile syringe coverage (i.e., persons have access to a sterile syringe for all injections) is optimal for HIV prevention. Existing syringe coverage literature is informative, yet little work has examined syringe coverage among PWID in rural communities. Using data from a 2018 PWID population estimation study conducted in a rural county in West Virginia, we used logistic regression to identify correlates of adequate sterile syringe coverage (at least 100%). A minority (37%) of PWID reported having adequate syringe coverage. Factors inversely associated with adequate syringe coverage included having recently (past 6 months): engaged in transactional sex work, shared syringes, and injected fentanyl. Having exclusively acquired syringes from a syringe services program was associated with increased odds of adequate syringe coverage. Rural PWID may benefit from tailored interventions designed to increase sterile syringe access.

Harm Reduction Services in Ottawa: The Culture of Drug Use

Between January 2016 and June 2019, there were over 13,900 apparent opioid-related deaths in Canada, solidifying the need for appropriate and effective services for people who use drugs (PWUD). Within government initiatives and policies, PWUD are often inappropriately considered a homogeneous group of individuals, with implementation of services nationally often being guided by these governmental bodies without meaningful consultation and collaboration with PWUD. However, recent harm reduction research and best practice guidelines have emphasized the importance of tailoring services to local drug scenes. Despite this, very little research on the cultural norms of PWUD exists in the literature. In an attempt to explore the local culture of drug use in Ottawa, a literature review ultimately uncovered very few articles on this topic. However, by expanding the search beyond Ottawa and using a social determinants of health framework, the factors of culture, income and social status, physical environment, and access to services were revealed as unique experiences for PWUD. Further, through four in-depth interviews with current harm reduction providers in Ottawa, the themes of (1) uncertainty and concerns surrounding the overdose crisis; (2) lack of flexibility in resources and access issues; and (3) diversity in the culture of drug use in Ottawa were explored. Recommendations surrounding partnering with PWUD, policy changes, and a safer supply were subsequently discussed. These findings helped to validate the reality of the unique drug-use culture in Ottawa, and the requirement for harm reduction services to be adapted to the local needs of PWUD.

A qualitative study on overdose response in the era of COVID-19 and beyond: how to spot someone so they never have to use alone

BACKGROUND

Spotting is an informal practice among people who use drugs (PWUD) where they witness other people using drugs and respond if an overdose occurs. During COVID-19 restrictions, remote spotting (e.g., using a telephone, video call, and/or a social media app) emerged to address physical distancing requirements and reduced access to harm reduction and/or sexually transmitted blood borne infection (STBBI's) prevention services. We explored spotting implementation issues from the perspectives of spotters and spottees.

METHODS

Research assistants with lived/living expertise of drug use used personal networks and word of mouth to recruit PWUD from Ontario and Nova Scotia who provided or used informal spotting. All participants completed a semi-structured, audio-recorded telephone interview about spotting service design, benefits, challenges, and recommendations. Recordings were transcribed and thematic analysis was used.

RESULTS

We interviewed 20 individuals between 08/2020-11/2020 who were involved in informal spotting. Spotting was provided on various platforms (e.g., telephone, video calls, and through texts) and locations (e.g. home, car), offered connection and community support, and addressed barriers to the use of supervised consumption sites (e.g., location, stigma, confidentiality, safety, availability, COVID-19 related closures). Spotting calls often began with setting an overdose response plan (i.e., when and who to call). Many participants noted that, due to the criminalization of drug use and fear of arrest, they preferred that roommates/friends/family members be called instead of emergency services in case of an overdose. Both spotters and spottees raised concerns about the timeliness of overdose response, particularly in remote and rural settings.

CONCLUSION

Spotting is a novel addition to, but not replacement for, existing harm reduction services. To optimize overdose/COVID-19/STBBI's prevention services, additional supports (e.g., changes to Good Samaritan Laws) are needed. The criminalization of drug use may limit uptake of formal spotting services.

Public support for harm reduction: A population survey of Canadian adults

We described public views toward harm reduction among Canadian adults and tested a social exposure model predicting support for these contentious services, drawing on theories in the morality policy, intergroup relations, addiction, and media communication literatures. A quota sample of 4645 adults (18+ years), randomly drawn from an online research panel and stratified to match age and sex distributions of adults within and across Canadian provinces, was recruited in June 2018. Participants completed survey items assessing support for harm reduction for people who use drugs (PWUD) and for seven harm reduction interventions. Additional items assessed exposure to media coverage on harm reduction, and scales assessing stigma toward PWUD (α = .72), personal familiarity with PWUD (α = .84), and disease model beliefs about addiction (α = .79). Most (64%) Canadians supported harm reduction (provincial estimates = 60% - 73%). Five of seven interventions received majority support, including: outreach (79%), naloxone (72%), drug checking (70%), needle distribution (60%) and supervised drug consumption (55%). Low-threshold opioid agonist treatment and safe inhalation interventions received less support (49% and 44%). Our social exposure model, adjusted for respondent sex, household income, political views, and education, exhibited good fit and accounted for 17% of variance in public support for harm reduction. Personal familiarity with PWUD and disease model beliefs about addiction were directly associated with support (βs = .07 and -0.10, respectively), and indirectly influenced public support via stigmatized attitudes toward PWUD (βs = 0.01 and -0.01, respectively). Strategies to increase support for harm reduction could problematize certain disease model beliefs (e.g., "There are only two possibilities for an alcoholic or drug addict-permanent abstinence or death") and creating opportunities to reduce social distance between PWUD, the public, and policy makers.

The need to prioritize research, policy, and practice to address the overdose epidemic in smaller settings in Canada

The majority of research and policy directives targeting opioid use and overdose prevention are based in larger urban settings and not easily adaptable to smaller Canadian settings (i.e., small- to mid-sized cities and rural areas). We identify a variety of research and policy gaps in smaller settings, including limited access to supervised consumption services, safer supply and novel opioid agonist therapy programs, as well as housing-based services and supports. Additionally, we identify the need for novel strategies to improve healthcare access and health outcomes in a more equitable way for people who use drugs, including virtual opioid agonist therapy clinics, episodic overdose prevention services, and housing-based harm reduction programs that are better suited for smaller settings. These programs should be coupled with rigorous evaluation, in order to understand the unique factors that shape overdose risk, opioid use, and service uptake in smaller Canadian settings.

Implementing harm reduction in non-urban communities affected by opioids and polysubstance use: A qualitative study exploring challenges and mitigating strategies

BACKGROUND

Harm reduction services, which typically provide overdose education and prevention with distribution of naloxone and other supplies related to safer drug use, help reduce opioid-related overdose and infectious disease transmission. However, structural stigma and the ongoing criminalization of drug use have limited the expansion of harm reduction services into many non-urban communities in the United States that have been increasingly affected by the health consequences of opioid and polysubstance use.

METHODS

We conducted qualitative interviews with 22 professionals working with people who use drugs in cities and towns across Rhode Island and Massachusetts to understand challenges and strategies for engaging communities in accepting harm reduction perspectives and services.

RESULTS

Our thematic analysis identified several interrelated challenges to implementing harm reduction services in non-urban communities, including: (1) limited understandings of harm reduction practice and preferential focus on substance use treatment and primary prevention, (2) community-level stigma against people who use drugs as well as the agencies supporting them, (3) data reporting and aggregating leading to inaccurate perceptions about local patterns of substance use and related health consequences, and (4) a "prosecutorial mindset" against drug use and harm reduction. From key informants' narratives, we also identified specific strategies that communities could use to address these challenges, including: (1) identifying local champions to advocate for harm reduction strategies, (2) proactively educating communities about harm reduction approaches before they are implemented, (3) improving the visibility of harm reduction services within communities, and (4) obtaining "buy-in" from a wide range of local stakeholders including law enforcement and local government.

CONCLUSION

These findings carry important implications for expanding harm reduction services, including syringe service programs and safe injection sites, into non-urban communities that have a demonstrated need for evidence-based interventions to reduce drug-related overdose and infectious disease transmission.

Distance matters: The association of proximity to syringe services programs with sharing of syringes and injecting equipment - 17 U.S. cities, 2015

BACKGROUND

Syringe services programs (SSPs) have effectively limited the spread of HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) among people who inject drugs (PWID). Access to SSPs has been shown to reduce injection risk behaviors but the relationship between distance to an SSP and likelihood of sharing injection equipment is not well known.

METHODS

We analyzed a sample of 8,392 PWID from 17 U.S. cities recruited through the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) system in 2015. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated from log-linked Poisson regression to explore associations between injecting equipment sharing in the past 12 months and distance to the nearest SSP.

RESULTS

Regardless of SSP use, respondents who lived in zip codes further than the city-specific mean distance to nearest SSP were more likely to report sharing behavior. Among PWID who had not reported using an SSP in the previous 12 months, distributive sharing (aPR=1.13 95% CI=1.05, 1.21), receptive sharing (aPR=1.15, 95% CI=1.06, 1.24), and injection equipment sharing (aPR=1.08, 95% CI=1.03, 1.13) were more prevalent among residents who resided further than the average distance to the nearest SSP.

CONCLUSIONS

Greater distance to an SSP was associated with increased sharing behaviors. Improved access to an SSP and subsequent decreases in sharing behaviors could reduce transmission of HIV and HCV among PWID. Accessibility should be taken into account when planning provision of SSPs.

HaRePo (harm reduction by post): an innovative and effective harm reduction programme for people who use drugs using email, telephone, and post service

BACKGROUND

Despite multiple harm reduction (HR) programmes worldwide, there are still an important number of people who use drugs (PWUD) who do not access those services. Their difficulties to obtain HR tools are due to their inability to reach such services (remoteness and/or limited customer service hours), costs, quantitative restrictions, fear of judgement, lack of confidentiality in pharmacy, and unfamiliarity with HR programmes. We tested an innovative approach using the power of remote online communication and the national postal distribution network to improve HR tool access and counselling.

METHODS

Based on these observations, SAFE association created HaRePo in 2011, a free and confidential programme designed for people who have difficulties accessing HR tools and counselling. PWUD can access the programme by phone and/or email. An HR professional delivers HR counselling and HR tools and connects PWUD to other HR services, medical, and social workers. HR tools are prepared and sent according to the person's needs through the French postal service to consumers across Metropolitan France and overseas territories.

RESULTS

Since 2011, 1920 PWUD have benefited from HaRePo: 10,450 parcels were sent accounting for more than 1.7 million syringes and 6 million HR-related items. HaRePo receives positive feedback from PWUD who have improved their practices through remote but trusted communication. The percentage of people that, after joining the programme, never reuse and/or share HR tools have significantly increased. On average, 71.5% of beneficiaries never reuse syringes and 81% do not reuse needles. And they are 98.5% consumers who never share syringes and 99% needles any longer. Between 44 and 80% HaRePo beneficiaries have reported that their drug-related practices (injection, inhalation, and snorting) are now safer. Finally, between 39 and 53% HaRePo consumers declared that their overall physical state has improved (e.g. venous condition, the appearance of point of injection, swelling of arms, legs, and hands).

CONCLUSION

HaRePo is an innovative HR programme efficient for hard-to-reach PWUD. It shows evidence of a positive feedback loop for PWUD in improving their practices. Finally, HaRePo represents a clear benefit for health authorities in France, who decided to expand the programme in 2016.

Accessibility of Needle and Syringe Programs and Injecting and Sharing Risk Behaviors in High Hepatitis C Virus Prevalence Settings

Background: Access to healthcare services is a basic human right. Objective: The main purpose of this study is to assess the association between accessibility of needle and syringe programs (NSP) and injecting and sharing risk behaviors. Methods: A cross-sectional study employed respondent-driving sampling (RDS) to recruit a sample of 634 people who inject drugs (PWID) from three provinces, Golestan, Ardabil, and Sistan and Baluchestan, in Iran between November 2018 and February 2019. Participants completed a questionnaire based on the WHO Drug Injecting Study Phase II survey. Results: Participants reported their accessibility of NSP services as low (6%), middle (19%), and high (75%) in the past 2 months at the time of the survey. PWID who had increased access to NSP services were less likely to report utilization of used cooker (aOR = 1.40; CI 95% 0.99-1.82), cotton (aOR = 1.30; CI 95% 0.79-1.81), and water (aOR = 1.07; CI 95% 0.89-1.26), receptive needle/syringe sharing (aOR= 1.86, 95% CI 1.69-2.03), and distributive needle/syringe sharing (aOR= 1.09, 95% CI 0.81-1.37). Conclusions/Importance: There is evidence of inequality in PWID's access to health care as they relate to the prevention of HCV transmission. An understanding of both the social determinants and prevention of injecting and sharing risk behaviors seeks to connect HCV risk reduction within the context of human rights and vulnerability.

The impact of rurality on opioid-related harms: A systematic review of qualitative research

INTRODUCTION

Over the past decade, there has been mounting recognition that opioid use and related mortality and morbidity is a significant public health problem in rural, non-urban areas across the globe. Taking what has been termed the 'opioid crisis' as a starting off point, this article aims to systematically review the qualitative literature on the ways in which rurality shapes the risk for opioid-related harm.

METHODS

A systematic review was undertaken using database searches and secondary reference list searches for qualitative literature on rural and non-urban opioid-related harms. A total of 32 qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria. Data extraction was performed in NVivo 12 using a codebook based on the 'risk environment' framework.

RESULTS

The findings explore how rurality shapes the risk environment for opioid-related harms through four environment influences: (1) economic conditions, including economic transition and deindustrialisation that has occurred in many rural areas, and the high levels of economic distress experienced by rural residents; (2) physical conditions, including a lack of infrastructure and recreation opportunities, larger geographic distances, and limited transportation; (3) social conditions, where social networks could be both protective but also amplify risk through a lack of knowledge about treatment and risk behaviours, a lack of anonymity and stigmatisation of people who use opioids in rural areas; and (4) policy conditions including limited coverage and availability of harm reduction and drug treatment services, and stigmatising service provider practices.

CONCLUSIONS

The impact of rurality on risk of opioid-related harm is multifaceted. We suggest that future research on rural opioid use would benefit from drawing on the theoretical toolkit of rural criminology to attend to the ways the 'rural crisis', and attendant insecurities, anxieties and strains, impacts upon rural communities and shapes risk, along with how socio-cultural characteristics of the rural 'organise' risks of drug use.

Media coverage of harm reduction, 2000-2016: A content analysis of tone, topics, and interventions in Canadian print news

BACKGROUND

Harm reduction interventions reduce mortality and morbidity for people who use drugs (PWUD), but are contentious and haphazardly implemented. This study describes volume and content of Canadian newspaper coverage of harm reduction produced from 2000 to 2016.

METHODS

Searches of 54 English-language newspapers identified 5681 texts, coded for type (news reports, opinion pieces), tone (positive, negative, or neutral/balanced coverage), topic (health, crime, social welfare, and political perspectives on harm reduction), and seven harm reduction interventions.

RESULTS

Volume of coverage doubled in 2008 (after removal of harm reduction from federal drug policy and legal challenges to Vancouver's supervised consumption program) and quadrupled in 2016 (tracking Canada's opioid emergency). Health perspectives on harm reduction were most common (39% of texts) while criminal perspectives were rare (3%). Negative coverage was over 10 times more common in opinion pieces (31%) compared to news reports (3%); this trend was more pronounced in British Columbia and Alberta, a region particularly affected by Canada's opioid emergency. Supervised drug consumption accounted for 49% of all newspaper coverage.

CONCLUSIONS

Although federal policy support for harm reduction waxed and waned over 17 years, Canadian newspapers independently shaped public discourse, frequently characterizing harm reduction positively/neutrally and from a health perspective. However, issue framing and agenda setting was also evident: supervised drug consumption offered in a single Canadian city crowded out coverage of all other harm reduction services, except for naloxone. This narrow sense of 'newsworthiness' obscured public discourse on the full spectrum of evidence-based harm reduction services that could benefit PWUD.

Longitudinal migration patterns from an open illicit drug scene among people who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, Canada

The objective of this study was to identify migration patterns from an open illicit drug scene (the Downtown Eastside [DTES] neighborhood) and describe factors associated with these migration patterns. Data were derived from three cohorts of people who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, Canada. Defined using latent class growth analysis, we identified four distinct migration trajectory groups: 1) consistently living in the DTES (47.8%); 2) early migration out, with a median time of migrating out of DTES of 5.3 months (21.5%); 3) late migration out, with a median time of migrating out of DTES of 38.0 months (20.1%); and 4) frequent revisit back-and-forth to DTES (10.6%). In a multivariable model, compared to the "consistently living in the DTES" group, factors associated with the "frequent revisit" group included being enrolled in non-pharmacological addiction treatment and having an HCV-positive serostatus. Factors associated with the "early migration out" group included being enrolled in detoxification or in other non-pharmacological addiction treatment, later calendar year, being on income assistance, living in a single room occupancy hotel, and having an HCV-positive serostatus. These findings point to the need for appropriate distribution of services in order to meet the needs of this population.

The prevalence and patterns of substance use by birth cohort among HIV-positive adults in Florida

OBJECTIVES

Antiretroviral therapy is affording longer lifespans for people living with HIV (PLWH), yet factors such as substance use play an increasing role in morbidity and mortality in this population. Though previous studies have examined substance use differences between age cohorts of PLWH, no study has examined the influence of birth cohort on current substance use patterns. Thus, this study investigated the prevalence of past 12-month self-reported substance use between four birth cohorts, <1970 (M age = 54.1), 1970s (M age = 41.5), 1980s (M age = 31.3 years old), and 1990s (M age = 23.2 years old) of PLWH in Florida.

METHODS

PLWH (N = 934) recruited from community health clinics in Florida completed a questionnaire assessing sociodemographics, health status, and substance use. Multivariate logistic regressions utilizing the <1970 cohort as the referent group examined the relationship between birth cohort and substance use.

RESULTS

The 1980s cohort had significantly greater odds of marijuana use compared to the oldest cohort (<1970s), while the three younger cohorts (1970s, 1980s, and 1990s) evidenced a significantly greater odds of ecstasy use compared to the oldest group. Contrastingly, the three younger birth cohorts reported significantly less crack use than the oldest cohort, while the youngest group (1990s) also demonstrated an 80% reduction in injection drug use compared to the oldest group.

CONCLUSION

The older cohort evidenced significantly greater crack and injection drug use, while the younger cohorts evidenced greater marijuana and ecstasy use. Therefore, it is important to develop age-specific substance use interventions among PLWH.

The role of prevention strategies in achieving HCV elimination in Canada: what are the remaining challenges?

Background

The worldwide economic, health, and social consequences of drug use disorders are devastating. Injection drug use is now a major factor contributing to hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission globally, and it is an important public health concern.

Methods

This article presents a narrative review of scientific evidence on public health strategies for HCV prevention among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Canada.

Results

A combination of public health strategies including timely HCV detection and harm reduction (mostly needle and syringe programmes and opioid substitution therapy) have helped to reduce HCV transmission among PWID. The rising prevalence of pharmaceutical opioid and methamphetamine use and associated HCV risk in several Canadian settings has prompted further innovation in harm reduction, including supervised injection facilities and low-threshold opioid substitution therapies. Further significant decreases in HCV incidence and prevalence, and in corresponding disease burden, can only be accomplished by reducing transmission among high-risk persons and enhancing access to HCV treatment for those at the greatest risk of disease progression or viral transmission. Highly effective and tolerable direct-acting antiviral therapies have transformed the landscape for HCV-infected patients and are a valuable addition to the prevention toolkit. Curing HCV-infected persons, and thus eliminating new infections, is now a real possibility.

Conclusions

Prevention strategies have not yet ended HCV transmission, and sharing of injecting equipment among PWID continues to challenge the World Health Organization goal of eliminating HCV as a global public health threat by 2030. Future needs for research, intervention implementation, and uptake in Canada are discussed.

Food insecurity among people who inject drugs in Los Angeles and San Francisco

OBJECTIVE

We estimated the prevalence of food insecurity among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Los Angeles and San Francisco and explored correlates of food insecurity.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study that measured 30 d food insecurity using the US Adult Food Security Survey ten-item Module developed by the US Department of Agriculture. Food insecurity was defined as including low and very low food security.

SETTING

Two cities in the state of California, USA.

SUBJECTS

Male and female active PWID (n 777).

RESULTS

Among participants, 58 % reported food insecurity and 41 % reported very low food security. Food-insecure PWID were more likely to report being homeless (prevalence ratio (PR)=1·20; 95 % CI 1·05, 1·37), chest pain in the past 12 months (PR=1·19; CI 1·06, 1·35), acquiring syringes from someone who goes to a syringe exchange programme (PR=1·27; 95 % CI 1·13, 1·43) and feeling at risk for arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia (PR=1·30; 95 % CI 1·15, 1·46).

CONCLUSIONS

Current food insecurity was common among PWID in these two cities, yet few factors were independently associated with food insecurity. These data suggest that broad strategies to improve food access for this high-risk population are urgently needed.

Compulsory maintenance treatment program amongst Iranian injection drug users and its side effects

Background:

Psychoactive substance use can cause a broad variety of mental health disorders and social health problems for the drug users, their family and society.

Objectives:

The Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education of Iran has recently proclaimed an estimated number of 2 million drug abusers and 200,000 injecting drug users (IDUs).

Patients and Methods:

For data collection, the directory of mental, social health, and Addiction designed a questionnaire in cooperation with Drug Control Headquarters of Iran.

Results:

Among 402 IDUs patients, a large amount of them were male, single, and younger than 39 years. Regarding psychotic and somatic symptoms caused by methadone therapy, most of the participants had no problem with methadone maintenance treatment (MMT).

Conclusions:

There is a need to train health staff, and the community, concerning preventive measures, treatment, and reducing harm for substance drug users.

Substance abuse treatment utilization, HIV risk behaviors, and recruitment among suburban injection drug users in Long Island, New York

Prevention and treatment of injection drug use remains a public health concern. We used data from the 2005 Centers for Disease Control and prevention National HIV Behavioral Surveillance system to assess substance abuse treatment utilization, risk behaviors, and recruitment processes in a respondent driven sample of suburban injectors. Twelve service utilization and injection risk variables were analyzed using latent class analysis. Three latent classes were identified: low use, low risk; low use, high risk; and high use, moderate/high risk. In multivariate analysis, annual income <$15,000 (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 8.19 [95 % confidence interval (CI), 3.83-17.51]) and self-reported hepatitis C virus infection (aOR = 4.32, 95 % CI (1.84-10.17)) were significantly associated with class membership. Homophily, a measure of preferential recruitment showed that injectors with recent treatment utilization appear a more cohesive group than out-of-treatment injectors. Preferentially reaching injection drug users with high risk behaviors and no recent drug treatment history via respondent driven sampling will require future research.

'Safer environment interventions': a qualitative synthesis of the experiences and perceptions of people who inject drugs

There is growing acknowledgment that social, structural, and environmental forces produce vulnerability to health harms among people who inject drugs (PWID), and safer environment interventions (SEI) have been identified as critical to mitigating the impacts of these contextual forces on drug-related harm. To date, however, SEIs have been under-theorized in the literature, and how they minimize drug-related risks across intervention types and settings has not been adequately examined. This article presents findings from a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies reporting PWID's experiences with three types of SEIs (syringe exchange programmes, supervised injection facilities and peer-based harm reduction interventions) published between 1997 and 2012. This meta-synthesis sought to develop a comprehensive understanding of SEIs informed by the experiences of PWID. Twenty-nine papers representing twenty-one unique studies that included an aggregate of more than 800 PWID were included in this meta-synthesis. This meta-synthesis found that SEIs fostered social and physical environments that mitigated drug-related harms and increased access to social and material resources. Specifically, SEIs: (1) provided refuge from street-based drug scenes; (2) enabled safer injecting by reshaping the social and environmental contexts of injection drug use; (3) mediated access to resources and health care services; and, (4) were constrained by drug prohibition and law enforcement activities. These findings indicate that it is critical to situate SEIs in relation to the lived experiences of PWID, and in particular provide broader environmental support to PWID. Given that existing drug laws limit the effectiveness of interventions, drug policy reforms are needed to enable public health, and specifically SEIs, to occupy a more prominent role in the response to injection drug use.

Impact of supervised drug consumption services on access to and engagement with care at a palliative and supportive care facility for people living with HIV/AIDS: a qualitative study

Introduction

Improvements in the availability and effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) have prolonged the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS. However, mortality rates have remained high among populations that encounter barriers to accessing and adhering to HAART, notably people who use drugs. This population consequently has a high burden of illness and complex palliative and supportive care needs, but is often unable to access these services due to anti-drug policies and discrimination. In Vancouver, Canada, the Dr. Peter Centre (DPC), which operates a 24-bed residential HIV/AIDS care facility, has sought to improve access to palliative and supportive care services by adopting a comprehensive harm reduction strategy, including supervised injection services. We undertook this study to explore how the integration of comprehensive harm reduction services into this setting shapes access to and engagement with care.

Methods

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 DPC residents between November 2010 and August 2011. Interviews made use of a semistructured interview guide which facilitated discussion regarding how the DPC Residence's model of care (a) shaped healthcare access, (b) influenced healthcare interactions and (c) impacted drug use practices and overall health. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically.

Results

Participant accounts highlight how the harm reduction policy altered the structural-environmental context of healthcare services and thus mediated access to palliative and supportive care services. Furthermore, this approach fostered an atmosphere in which drug use could be discussed without the risk of punitive action, and thus increased openness between residents and staff. Finally, participants reported that the environmental supports provided by the DPC Residence decreased drug-related risks and improved health outcomes, including HAART adherence and survival.

Conclusions

This study highlights how adopting comprehensive harm reduction services can serve to improve access and equity in palliative and supportive care for drug-using populations.

Injecting on the Island: a qualitative exploration of the service needs of persons who inject drugs in Prince Edward Island, Canada

BACKGROUND

Few studies have investigated the service needs of persons who inject drugs (PWID) who live in less populated regions of Canada. With access to fewer treatment and harm reduction services than those in more urban environments, the needs of PWID in smaller centres may be distinct. As such, the present study examined the needs of PWID in Prince Edward Island (PEI), the smallest of Canada's provinces.

METHODS

Eight PWID were interviewed about the services they have accessed, barriers they faced when attempting to access these services, and what services they need that they are not currently receiving.

RESULTS

Participants encountered considerable barriers when accessing harm reduction and treatment services due to the limited hours of services, lengthy wait times for treatment, and shortage of health care practitioners. They also reported experiencing considerable negativity from health care practitioners. Participants cited incidences of stigmatisation, and they perceived that health care practitioners received insufficient training related to drug use. Recommendations for the improvement of services are outlined.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate that initiatives should be developed to improve PWID's access to harm reduction and treatment services in PEI. Additionally, health care practitioners should be offered sensitisation training and improved education on providing services to PWID. The findings highlight the importance of considering innovative alternatives for service provision in regions with limited resources.

"People knew they could come here to get help": an ethnographic study of assisted injection practices at a peer-run 'unsanctioned' supervised drug consumption room in a Canadian setting

People who require help injecting are disproportionately vulnerable to drug-related harm, including HIV transmission. North America's only sanctioned SIF operates in Vancouver, Canada under an exemption to federal drug laws, which imposes operating regulations prohibiting assisted injections. In response, the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) launched a peer-run unsanctioned SIF in which trained peer volunteers provide assisted injections to increase the coverage of supervised injection services and minimize drug-related harm. We undertook qualitative interviews (n = 23) and ethnographic observation (50 h) to explore how this facility shaped assisted injection practices. Findings indicated that VANDU reshaped the social, structural, and spatial contexts of assisted injection practices in a manner that minimized HIV and other health risks, while allowing people who require help injecting to escape drug scene violence. Findings underscore the need for changes to regulatory frameworks governing SIFs to ensure that they accommodate people who require help injecting.

Key challenges in providing services to people who use drugs: The perspectives of people working in emergency departments and shelters in Atlantic Canada

Aims

Many people who use drugs (PWUD) have multiple health and social needs, and research suggests that this population is increasingly accessing emergency departments (EDs) and shelters for health care and housing. This qualitative study explored the practices of those working in EDs and shelters when providing services to PWUD, with a particular focus on key challenges in service provision.

Methods

EDs and shelters were conceptualized as ‘micro environments’ with various components (i.e. social, physical and resource). One-on-one interviews were conducted with 57 individuals working in EDs and shelters in Atlantic Canada.

Findings

The social, physical and resource environments within some EDs and shelters are key forces in shaping the challenges facing those providing services. For example, the social environments within these settings are focused on acute health care in the case of EDs, and housing in the case of shelters. These mandates do not encompass the complex needs of many PWUD. Resource issues within the wider community (e.g. limited drug treatment spaces) further contribute to the challenges.

Conclusions

Structural issues, internal and external to EDs and shelters need to be addressed to reduce the challenges facing many who work in these settings when providing services to PWUD.

Harm reduction services as a point-of-entry to and source of end-of-life care and support for homeless and marginally housed persons who use alcohol and/or illicit drugs: a qualitative analysis

BACKGROUND

Homeless and marginally housed persons who use alcohol and/or illicit drugs often have end-of-life care needs that go unmet due to barriers that they face to accessing end-of-life care services. Many homeless and marginally housed persons who use these substances must therefore rely upon alternate sources of end-of-life care and support. This article explores the role of harm reduction services in end-of-life care services delivery to homeless and marginally housed persons who use alcohol and/or illicit drugs.

METHODS

A qualitative case study design was used to explore end-of-life care services delivery to homeless and marginally housed persons in six Canadian cities. A key objective was to explore the role of harm reduction services. 54 health and social services professionals participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews. All participants reported that they provided care and support to this population at end-of-life.

RESULTS

Harm reduction services (e.g., syringe exchange programs, managed alcohol programs, etc.) were identified as a critical point-of-entry to and source of end-of-life care and support for homeless and marginally housed persons who use alcohol and/or illicit drugs. Where possible, harm reduction services facilitated referrals to end-of-life care services for this population. Harm reduction services also provided end-of-life care and support when members of this population were unable or unwilling to access end-of-life care services, thereby improving quality-of-life and increasing self-determination regarding place-of-death.

CONCLUSIONS

While partnerships between harm reduction programs and end-of-life care services are identified as one way to improve access, it is noted that more comprehensive harm reduction services might be needed in end-of-life care settings if they are to engage this underserved population.