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Ezell JM, Pho MT, Ajayi BP, Simek E, Shetty N, Goddard-Eckrich DA, Bluthenthal RN. Opioid use, prescribing and fatal overdose patterns among racial/ethnic minorities in the United States: A scoping review and conceptual risk environment model. Drug Alcohol Rev 2024; 43:1143-1159. [PMID: 38646735 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
ISSUES To date, there has been no synthesis of research addressing the scale and nuances of the opioid epidemic in racial/ethnic minority populations in the United States that considers the independent and joint impacts of dynamics such as structural disadvantage, provider bias, health literacy, cultural norms and various other risk factors. APPROACH Using the "risk environment" framework, we conducted a scoping review on PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar of peer-reviewed literature and governmental reports published between January 2000 and February 2024 on the nature and scale of opioid use, opioid prescribing patterns, and fatal overdoses among racial/ethnic minorities in the United States, while also examining macro, meso and individual-level risk factors. KEY FINDINGS Results from this review illuminate a growing, but fragmented, literature lacking standardisation in racial/ethnic classification and case reporting, specifically in regards to Indigenous and Asian subpopulations. This literature broadly illustrates racial/ethnic minorities' increasing nonmedical use of opioids, heightened burdens of fatal overdoses, specifically in relation to polydrug use and synthetic opioids, with notable elevations among Black/Latino subgroups, in addition uneven opioid prescribing patterns. Moreover, the literature implicates a variety of unique risk environments corresponding to dynamics such as residential segregation, provider bias, overpolicing, acculturative stress, patient distrust, and limited access to mental health care services and drug treatment resources, including medications for opioid use disorder. IMPLICATIONS There has been a lack of rigorous, targeted study on racial/ethnic minorities who use opioids, but evidence highlights burgeoning increases in usage, especially polydrug/synthetic opioid use, and disparities in prescriptions and fatal overdose risk-phenomena tied to multi-level forms of entrenched disenfranchisement. CONCLUSION There is a need for further research on the complex, overlapping risk environments of racial/ethnic minorities who use opioids, including deeper inclusion of Indigenous and Asian individuals, and efforts to generate greater methodological synergies in population classification and reporting guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerel M Ezell
- Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, USA
- Berkeley Center for Cultural Humility, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, USA
| | - Mai T Pho
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, USA
| | - Babatunde P Ajayi
- Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, USA
| | - Elinor Simek
- Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, USA
- Berkeley Center for Cultural Humility, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, USA
| | - Netra Shetty
- University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, USA
| | | | - Ricky N Bluthenthal
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
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Mudiope P, Mathers B, Nangendo J, Samuel M, Mutamba BB, Alamo S, Nanyenya N, Makumbi F, Laker-Oketta M, Wanyenze R. Characterising People who inject drugs, and association with HIV infection: A Situation Analysis in Kampala city, Uganda. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.05.31.24308282. [PMID: 38853844 PMCID: PMC11160897 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.31.24308282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Background Uganda has implemented targeted interventions to address the rising burden of injection drug use, yet barriers persist in reaching persons who inject drugs (PWID). This study describes the characteristics of people who inject drugs, physical and mental health states, and associated risk behaviors, to inform the designing of programs that are tailored to client's needs and preferences. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted between August and December 2023 at selected hotspots in Kampala, interviewing 499 PWID aged ≥18 years. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire administered by peer educators and Uganda Harm Reduction Network (UHRN) counselors. Measurements included socio-demographics, injecting drug use and sexual risk behaviors, and medical history. HIV serostatus was dtermined by self-report and testing for participants who had no recent history of testing and consented to be tested. Binary logistic regression was used to establish the relationship between HIV infection and risky drug- and sexual behaviors of PWID. Results Participants were predominantly Ugandan (95.2%), male (73.2%), unmarried (55.9%), unemployed (81.8%), with higher levels of education and varying ages. Mental disorders were prevalent, with 48.7% reporting at least one underlying condition, including depression (30.8%) and anxiety (9.6%). Physical health issues were also noted, with reported cases of fever (32.9%), cough (32.5%), malaria (22%) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (15%).Regarding drug use patterns, the majority (82.6%) were introduced to drugs by close acquaintances, with 70.9% categorized as people who inject drugs. HIV prevalence among injecting drug users was 3.7%, with higher rates among females (8.4%) and non-Ugandans (16.7%). Being female and experiencing difficulty accessing sterile injection materials were associated with HIV-positive status, highlighting the complex interplay between socio-demographic factors, risk behaviors, and HIV infection among individuals with injecting drug use Disorder in Uganda. Conclusion Our study provides a comprehensive insight into the socio-demographic, mental, physical health, and HIV risk behavoir of PWID in Kampala, Uganda. The findings indicate significant vulnerabilities to injecting drug use, mental disorders, and high-risk behaviors that predispose this population to HIV infection. Despite a low HIV prevalence compared to previous estimates, the interplay between drug use, risky injecting practices, and sexual behaviors suggests an urgent need for targeted interventions to address these intertwined challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Mudiope
- Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala Uganda
| | - Bradley Mathers
- Global HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programms, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Joanita Nangendo
- School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Mutyaba Samuel
- Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala Uganda
| | | | - Stella Alamo
- United States of America Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | | | - Miriam Laker-Oketta
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Rhoda Wanyenze
- Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala Uganda
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Fleming T, Boyd J, Gagnon M, Kerr T, McNeil R. Using drugs alone in single room occupancy housing: Understanding environmental drivers of overdose risk. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 128:104444. [PMID: 38754243 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Across North America most overdose deaths occur in housing, largely due to individuals using drugs alone. In cities, fatalities are disproportionately concentrated in low-income housing, including single room occupancy (SRO) housing. While research has highlighted how SROs operate as risk environments for various poor outcomes, there has been little attention to specific drug use practices (i.e., using alone) associated with overdose vulnerability in these spaces. This study explores how environmental contexts of SROs shape overdose risks, with specific attention to practices of using drugs alone. METHODS In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 people who use drugs (PWUD) living in Vancouver SROs. Interviews covered topics such as social-structural environments of housing, drug use practices, and housing-based harm reduction. Thematic analysis drew on the intersectional risk environment framework. RESULTS Narratives positioned SROs as extensions of public space, with similar expectations of risks and behaviours as in public spaces. For some participants, using alone in their room was characterized as a practice in claiming privacy within the context of a public existence. Participants highlighted how certain features of SRO's social-structural environments were routinely leveraged against them (e.g., security cameras, staff surveillance), suggesting using alone as a tactic to minimize risks of hyper-surveillance and punitive policies. Further, participants discussed using alone as "safer," describing how this practice mitigated place-based risks of social-structural harms (e.g., violence, criminalization) in ways that eclipsed overdose risk. CONCLUSION Using drugs alone may be understood as a spatial negotiation of vulnerability to diverse harms produced by environmental contexts of SROs. Interventions accounting for broader contextual factors (e.g., improvements housing quality/quantity, providing a safer supply of drugs) that render using alone as instrumental to survival, and that reduce the implicit threat of punishment from intensive surveillance and control practices are critical to reduce vulnerability to overdose and other harms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Fleming
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program, University of British Columbia, 270-2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Jade Boyd
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Marilou Gagnon
- School of Nursing, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada; Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, 2300 McKenzie Avenue, Victoria, BC V8N 5M8, Canada
| | - Thomas Kerr
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Ryan McNeil
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, 367 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 10001, USA; Program in Addiction Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, 367 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 10001, USA.
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Sauer S. Public stigma against fentanyl overdose decedents in the United States: A conjoint vignette experiment. Soc Sci Med 2024; 350:116937. [PMID: 38710134 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The United States is facing a drug overdose crisis, and stigma against people who use drugs is a major roadblock to implementing solutions. Despite the public health importance of understanding and mitigating substance use stigma, prior research has focused mainly on perceptions of individuals with substance use disorders and a limited set of demographic traits. This leaves critical gaps in our understanding of stigma against fentanyl overdose decedents, who represent a much broader group, including people who use substances recreationally. This study develops a more robust understanding of these attitudes through an experimental vignette survey fielded to a national sample of American adults (n = 1432). Respondents were shown two fictional fentanyl overdose obituaries where a complex suite of decedent characteristics-including demographic traits and contexts of substance use-were randomly varied in a conjoint design. Respondents then endorsed one of the two decedents for each of several attitudinal outcomes, including blameworthiness and support for various interventions, and justified their choices in an open-ended format. Results indicate that the public assesses victims of fentanyl overdose meritocratically, making judgments based on personal history and life experience rather than traditional race, class, and gender status beliefs. While certainly a signal of progress on some fronts, this meritocratic lens conflicts with the public health model of addressing the overdose crisis and exposes the alarming persistence of explicit stigma against people who use drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney Sauer
- Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University, 1885 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States.
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M FM, Doug LM, Peter F, Vivian F G, Wiley J, P Todd K, William M, Mai P, David S, Tom S, Ryan W, William Z, M YA, Lf CH. Correlates of overdose among 2711 people who use drugs and live in 7 rural US sites. Drug Alcohol Depend 2024; 258:111261. [PMID: 38581919 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Overdose rates in rural areas have been increasing globally, with large increases in the United States. Few studies, however, have identified correlates of non-fatal overdose among rural people who use drugs (PWUD). The present analysis describes correlates of nonfatal overdose among a large multistate sample of rural PWUD. METHODS This is a cross-sectional analysis of data gathered via surveys with PWUD recruited through seven Rural Opioid Initiative (ROI) sites. Descriptive analyses were conducted to assess the prevalence of past 30-day overdose. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate a series of multivariable models quantifying relationships of select factors to past-month overdose; factors were selected using the Risk Environment Framework. RESULTS The multisite sample included 2711 PWUD, 6% of whom reported overdosing in the past 30 days. In the fully adjusted model, houselessness (AOR=2.27, 95%CI[1.48, 3.48]), a positive test result for Hepatitis C infection (AOR=1.73 95%CI[1.18, 2.52]) and heroin/fentanyl use (AOR= 8.58 95%CI [3.01, 24.50]) were associated with an increased risk of reporting past 30-day overdose, while having a high-school education or less was associated with reduced odds of overdose (AOR=0.52, 95% CI[0.37, 0.74]). CONCLUSION As in urban areas, houselessness, Hepatitis C infection, and the use of heroin and fentanyl were significant correlates of overdose. Widespread access to overdose prevention interventions - including fentanyl test strips and naloxone - is critical in this rural context, with particular outreach needed to unhoused populations, people living with Hepatitis C, and people using opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fadanelli Monica M
- Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Dr, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | | | - Friedmann Peter
- UMass Chan Medical School - Baystate, 3601 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01199, USA
| | - Go Vivian F
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, 135 Dauer Dr, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jenkins Wiley
- SIU School of Medicine, 801 N Rutledge St., Springfield, IL 62702, USA
| | - Korthuis P Todd
- Oregon Health & Science University, School of Medicine, 3266 SW Research Dr, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Miller William
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, 135 Dauer Dr, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Pho Mai
- The University of Chicago Medicine, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Seal David
- Tulane School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Stopka Tom
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Public Health and Community Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Westergaard Ryan
- University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, 1685 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705-2281, USA
| | - Zule William
- Research Triangle Park, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, NC 27709-2194, USA
| | - Young April M
- University of Kentucky, College of Public Health, 111 Washington Ave., Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Cooper Hannah Lf
- Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Dr, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
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Pinzón-Gómez C, Langlade JP, Gantiva C. Systematic review of cognitive and behavioral strategies used in effective harm reduction interventions for people who use cocaine. J Addict Dis 2024:1-14. [PMID: 38591227 DOI: 10.1080/10550887.2024.2327762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this systematic review is to identify cognitive and behavioral strategies that have been used in effective harm reduction interventions for people who use cocaine. METHOD Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed, and the search was performed on February 26, 2023 across databases including PsycInfo, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Studies were included if they (1) report the use of one cognitive or behavioral strategy, (2) have harm reduction as the objective, (3) involve participants who used cocaine as at least one of their substances, (4) be published within the last 10 years, and (5) have a randomized controlled trial design. The Cochrane RoB 2.0 Tool was used to assess risk of bias. The cognitive and behavioral strategies were extracted and organized based on their frequency of use in the studies and their corresponding outcomes. RESULTS The final synthesis included k = 10 studies with N = 3,567 participants. Psychoeducation strategies, influence on social norms, personalized feedback, increased self-efficacy and motivational interviewing were the most frequently used promising strategies across studies. CONCLUSIONS This review underscores the significance of incorporating cognitive and behavioral strategies within harm reduction interventions, as they represent a promising domain that could enhance the effectiveness of addressing cocaine use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Pinzón-Gómez
- Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- Centro de Estudios Sobre Seguridad y Drogas CESED, Bogotá, Colombia
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Sibley AL, Klein E, Cooper HLF, Livingston MD, Baker R, Walters SM, Gicquelais RE, Ruderman SA, Friedmann PD, Jenkins WD, Go VF, Miller WC, Westergaard RP, Crane HM. The relationship between felt stigma and non-fatal overdose among rural people who use drugs. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:77. [PMID: 38582851 PMCID: PMC10998326 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-00988-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drug overdose deaths in the United States exceeded 100,000 in 2021 and 2022. Substance use stigma is a major barrier to treatment and harm reduction utilization and is a priority target in ending the overdose epidemic. However, little is known about the relationship between stigma and overdose, especially in rural areas. We aimed to characterize the association between felt stigma and non-fatal overdose in a multi-state sample of rural-dwelling people who use drugs. METHODS Between January 2018 and March 2020, 2,608 people reporting past 30-day opioid use were recruited via modified chain-referral sampling in rural areas across 10 states. Participants completed a computer-assisted survey of substance use and substance-related attitudes, behaviors, and experiences. We used multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations to test the association between felt stigma and recent non-fatal overdose. RESULTS 6.6% of participants (n = 173) reported an overdose in the past 30 days. Recent non-fatal overdose was significantly associated with felt stigma after adjusting for demographic and substance use-related covariates (aOR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.20-1.81). The association remained significant in sensitivity analyses on component fear of enacted stigma items (aOR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.20-1.83) and an internalized stigma item (aOR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.07-2.14). CONCLUSIONS Felt stigma related to substance use is associated with higher risk of non-fatal overdose in rural-dwelling people who use drugs. Stigma reduction interventions and tailored services for those experiencing high stigma are underutilized approaches that may mitigate overdose risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adams L Sibley
- Department of Health Behavior, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, 170 Rosenau Hall CB #7400, 135 Dauer Dr, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Emma Klein
- Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Hannah L F Cooper
- Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Melvin D Livingston
- Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Robin Baker
- OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, 1810 SW 5th Ave, Suite 510, Portland, OR, 97201, USA
| | - Suzan M Walters
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, 180 Madison, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Rachel E Gicquelais
- School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 4257 Signe Skott Cooper Hall, 701 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Stephanie A Ruderman
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Harborview Medical Center, 325 9th Ave, Box 359931, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Peter D Friedmann
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate and Baystate Health, 3601 Main St, Springfield, MA, 01199, USA
| | - Wiley D Jenkins
- Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, 201 E Madison Street, Springfield, IL, 62702, USA
| | - Vivian F Go
- Department of Health Behavior, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, 170 Rosenau Hall CB #7400, 135 Dauer Dr, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - William C Miller
- Department of Epidemiology, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, CB#8050, 3rd Floor Carolina Square, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, USA
| | - Ryan P Westergaard
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1685 Highland Avenue, 5th Floor, Madison, WI, 53705-2281, USA
| | - Heidi M Crane
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Mail Stop 359931, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
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Brennan RP, Fitzgerald L, Dean JA, Selvey L. 'Change creates change' - older female sex workers' experiences through the early COVID-19 pandemic. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2024; 26:466-482. [PMID: 37355340 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2023.2224869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 and associated policy responses created unique social, economic and health risks for sex workers. Through semi-structured interviews we explored pre- and early COVID-19 experiences and work practices of ten cisgender female sex workers 50 years of age and older in Queensland, Australia, analysing the findings using a risk environment framework. Throughout early 2020, participants navigated a complex risk environment, managing economic needs, health and safety, occupational stigma and policing. Australia's policy responses altered the risks and opportunities available to participants. Half the participants continued sex work and half stopped sex work with some accessing economic support and withdrawing superannuation savings. Those who continued sex work drew on life and work experience to reassess changing health, stigma, and policing risks, and adapted their work strategies by increasing client screening and modifying services. Participants relied on information from peer networks and organisations to guide work practices but remained wary of contact tracing, police and the media. Decriminalisation of sex work and the strengthening of sex worker organisation and government partnerships are important in embedding equity in responses to ongoing and new public health threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael P Brennan
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Lisa Fitzgerald
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Judith A Dean
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Linda Selvey
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia
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Young AM, Havens JR, Cooper HLF, Fallin-Bennett A, Fanucchi L, Freeman PR, Knudsen H, Livingston MD, McCollister KE, Stone J, Vickerman P, Freeman E, Jahangir T, Larimore E, White CR, Cheatom C, Community Staff K, Design Team K. Kentucky Outreach Service Kiosk (KyOSK) Study protocol: a community-level, controlled quasi-experimental, type 1 hybrid effectiveness study to assess implementation, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a community-tailored harm reduction kiosk on HIV, HCV and overdose risk in rural Appalachia. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e083983. [PMID: 38431295 PMCID: PMC10910671 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-083983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Many rural communities bear a disproportionate share of drug-related harms. Innovative harm reduction service models, such as vending machines or kiosks, can expand access to services that reduce drug-related harms. However, few kiosks operate in the USA, and their implementation, impact and cost-effectiveness have not been adequately evaluated in rural settings. This paper describes the Kentucky Outreach Service Kiosk (KyOSK) Study protocol to test the effectiveness, implementation outcomes and cost-effectiveness of a community-tailored, harm reduction kiosk in reducing HIV, hepatitis C and overdose risk in rural Appalachia. METHODS AND ANALYSIS KyOSK is a community-level, controlled quasi-experimental, non-randomised trial. KyOSK involves two cohorts of people who use drugs, one in an intervention county (n=425) and one in a control county (n=325). People who are 18 years or older, are community-dwelling residents in the target counties and have used drugs to get high in the past 6 months are eligible. The trial compares the effectiveness of a fixed-site, staffed syringe service programme (standard of care) with the standard of care supplemented with a kiosk. The kiosk will contain various harm reduction supplies accessible to participants upon valid code entry, allowing dispensing data to be linked to participant survey data. The kiosk will include a call-back feature that allows participants to select needed services and receive linkage-to-care services from a peer recovery coach. The cohorts complete follow-up surveys every 6 months for 36 months (three preceding kiosk implementation and four post-implementation). The study will test the effectiveness of the kiosk on reducing risk behaviours associated with overdose, HIV and hepatitis C, as well as implementation outcomes and cost-effectiveness. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The University of Kentucky Institutional Review Board approved the protocol. Results will be disseminated in academic conferences and peer-reviewed journals, online and print media, and community meetings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT05657106.
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Affiliation(s)
- April M Young
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Jennifer R Havens
- Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Hannah L F Cooper
- Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Laura Fanucchi
- College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Patricia R Freeman
- Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Hannah Knudsen
- Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Melvin D Livingston
- Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kathryn E McCollister
- Division of Health Services Research and Policy, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
| | - Jack Stone
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Peter Vickerman
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Edward Freeman
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Tasfia Jahangir
- Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Elizabeth Larimore
- Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Carol R White
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | | | - KyOSK Community Staff
- College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
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Tan M, Park C, Goldman J, Biello KB, Buxton J, Hadland SE, Park JN, Sherman SG, Macmadu A, Marshall BDL. Association between willingness to use an overdose prevention center and probation or parole status among people who use drugs in Rhode Island. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:54. [PMID: 38424553 PMCID: PMC10905878 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-00969-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Overdose prevention centers (OPCs) are being implemented in the United States as a strategy to reduce drug-related mortality and morbidity. Previous studies have suggested that people who use drugs (PWUD) with a history of criminal legal system (CLS) involvement (e.g. current probation/parole) are at greater risk of overdose but may also encounter significant barriers to OPC use. The objective of this study was to explore the association between willingness to use an OPC and probation/parole status in a sample of PWUD in Rhode Island. METHODS This study utilized data from the Rhode Island Prescription and Illicit Drug Study, which enrolled adult PWUD from August 2020 to February 2023. We used Pearson's chi-square and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests to assess bivariate associations between willingness to use an OPC and probation/parole status (current/previous/never), as well as other sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics. In multivariable Poisson analyses, we examined the association between willingness to use an OPC and probation/parole status, adjusting for key sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics. RESULTS Among 482 study participants, 67% were male, 56% identified as white, 20% identified as Hispanic/Latine, and the median age was 43 (IQR 35-53). Nearly a quarter (24%) had never been on probation/parole, 44% were not currently on probation/parole but had a lifetime history of probation and parole, and 32% were currently on probation/parole. Most participants (71%) reported willingness to use an OPC, and in both bivariate and multivariable analyses, willingness to use an OPC did not vary by probation/parole status. Crack cocaine use and lifetime non-fatal overdose were associated with greater willingness to use an OPC (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate high willingness to use OPC among PWUD in Rhode Island regardless of CLS-involvement. As OPCs begin to be implemented in Rhode Island, it will be imperative to engage people with CLS-involvement and to ensure access to the OPC and protection against re-incarceration due to potential barriers, such as police surveillance of OPCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Tan
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - Carolyn Park
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - Jacqueline Goldman
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - Katie B Biello
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - Jane Buxton
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Scott E Hadland
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ju Nyeong Park
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - Susan G Sherman
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alexandria Macmadu
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - Brandon D L Marshall
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, 02903, USA.
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11
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Manuel JI, Baslock D, DeBarros T, Halliday T, Pietruszewski P, Plante A, Razaa JW, Sloyer W, Stanhope V. Factors Associated With Indirect Exposure to and Knowledge of Fentanyl Among Youth. J Adolesc Health 2024; 74:312-319. [PMID: 37921731 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.08.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Using data from an online assessment of youth in the United States, this study examined factors associated with youth's indirect exposure to fentanyl; factors related to youth's level of knowledge of fentanyl; and sources of substance use information obtained by youth. METHODS This is a secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional online assessment of youth ages 13 to 18 in the United States in 2022. Participants self-reported on substance use knowledge and concerns, indirect exposure to substance use, access to substance use information and resources, the extent to which youth discussed drug use harms with someone, and COVID-related stress. RESULTS Analyses revealed that most youth did not have knowledge of fentanyl even though they reported indirect likely exposure to fentanyl. Youth concerned about alcohol or drug use in their own life were less likely to have knowledge of fentanyl and more likely to know someone who, if using drugs, would likely be exposed to fentanyl. A significant risk factor of indirect likely exposure to fentanyl was COVID-related stress. Prevalent sources of information included the internet, social media, friends or peers, and school classes. DISCUSSION While youth may have close proximity to fentanyl exposure and a degree of understanding of fentanyl, there is a general lack of knowledge of the substance, a critical gap that future substance use prevention initiatives could fill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer I Manuel
- University of Connecticut School of Social Work, Hartford, Connecticut.
| | - Daniel Baslock
- New York University Silver School of Social Work, New York, New York
| | - Tania DeBarros
- New York University Silver School of Social Work, New York, New York
| | - Teresa Halliday
- National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Pam Pietruszewski
- National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Alexandra Plante
- National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Washington, District of Columbia
| | | | - William Sloyer
- National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Victoria Stanhope
- New York University Silver School of Social Work, New York, New York
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12
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Nguyen TQ, Roberts Lavigne LC, Brantner CL, Kirk GD, Mehta SH, Linton SL. Estimation of place-based vulnerability scores for HIV viral non-suppression: an application leveraging data from a cohort of people with histories of using drugs. BMC Med Res Methodol 2024; 24:21. [PMID: 38273277 PMCID: PMC10809603 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-023-02133-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The relationships between place (e.g., neighborhood) and HIV are commonly investigated. As measurements of place are multivariate, most studies apply some dimension reduction, resulting in one variable (or a small number of variables), which is then used to characterize place. Typical dimension reduction methods seek to capture the most variance of the raw items, resulting in a type of summary variable we call "disadvantage score". We propose to add a different type of summary variable, the "vulnerability score," to the toolbox of the researchers doing place and HIV research. The vulnerability score measures how place, as known through the raw measurements, is predictive of an outcome. It captures variation in place characteristics that matters most for the particular outcome. We demonstrate the estimation and utility of place-based vulnerability scores for HIV viral non-suppression, using data with complicated clustering from a cohort of people with histories of injecting drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trang Quynh Nguyen
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH), Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | - Sabriya L Linton
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH), Baltimore, MD, USA
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13
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Falzon D, Parkes T, Carver H, Masterton W, Wallace B, Craik V, Measham F, Sumnall H, Gittins R, Hunter C, Watson K, Mooney JD, Aston EV. "It would really support the wider harm reduction agenda across the board": A qualitative study of the potential impacts of drug checking service delivery in Scotland. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292812. [PMID: 38096231 PMCID: PMC10721102 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug checking services (DCS) enable individuals to voluntarily submit a small amount of a substance for analysis, providing information about the content of the substance along with tailored harm reduction support and advice. There is some evidence suggesting that DCS may lead to behaviour and system change, with impacts for people who use drugs, staff and services, and public health structures. The evidence base is still relatively nascent, however, and several evidence gaps persist. This paper reports on qualitative interviews with forty-three participants across three Scottish cities where the implementation of community-based DCS is being planned. Participants were drawn from three groups: professional participants; people with experience of drug use; and affected family members. Findings focus on perceived harm reduction impacts of DCS delivery in Scotland, with participants highlighting the potential for drug checking to impact a number of key groups including: individual service users; harm reduction services and staff; drug market monitoring structures and networks; and wider groups of people who use and sell drugs, in shaping their interactions with the drug market. Whilst continued evaluation of individual health behaviour outcomes is crucial to building the evidence base for DCS, the findings highlight the importance of extending evaluation beyond these outcomes. This would include evaluation of processes such as: information sharing across a range of parties; engagement with harm reduction and treatment services; knowledge building; and increased drug literacy. These broader dynamics may be particularly important for evaluations of community-based DCS serving individuals at higher-risk, given the complex relationship between information provision and health behaviour change which may be mediated by mental and physical health, stigma, criminalisation and the risk environment. This paper is of international relevance and adds to existing literature on the potential impact of DCS on individuals, organisations, and public health structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Falzon
- Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Tessa Parkes
- Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Carver
- Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Wendy Masterton
- Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Bruce Wallace
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Vicki Craik
- Public Health Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona Measham
- Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- The Loop, Registered Charity, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Harry Sumnall
- Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | | | - Carole Hunter
- Alcohol and Drug Services, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Kira Watson
- Scottish Ambulance Service, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - John D. Mooney
- Public Health Directorate, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth V. Aston
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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14
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Davis A, Stringer KL, Drainoni ML, Oser CB, Knudsen HK, Aldrich A, Surratt HL, Walker DM, Gilbert L, Downey DL, Gardner SD, Tan S, Lines LM, Vandergrift N, Mack N, Holloway J, Lunze K, McAlearney AS, Huerta TR, Goddard-Eckrich DA, El-Bassel N. Community-level determinants of stakeholder perceptions of community stigma toward people with opioid use disorders, harm reduction services and treatment in the HEALing Communities Study. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 122:104241. [PMID: 37890391 PMCID: PMC10841835 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Community stigma toward people with opioid use disorder (OUD) can impede access to harm reduction services and treatment with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Such community OUD stigma is partially rooted in community-level social and economic conditions, yet there remains a paucity of large-scale quantitative data examining community-level factors associated with OUD stigma. We examined whether rurality, social inequity, and racialized segregation across communities from four states in the HEALing Communities Study (HCS) were associated with 1) greater perceived community stigma toward people treated for OUD, 2) greater perceived intervention stigma toward MOUD, and 3) greater perceived intervention stigma toward naloxone by community stakeholders in the HCS. METHODS From November 2019-January 2020, a cross-sectional survey about community OUD stigma was administered to 801 members of opioid overdose prevention coalitions across 66 communities in four states prior to the start of HCS intervention activities. Bivariate analyses assessed pairwise associations between community rural/urban status and each of the three stigma variables, using linear mixed effect modeling to account for response clustering within communities, state, and respondent sociodemographic characteristics. We conducted similar bivariate analyses to assess pairwise associations between racialized segregation and social inequity. RESULTS On average, the perceived community OUD stigma scale score of stakeholders from rural communities was 4% higher (β=1.57, SE=0.7, p≤0.05), stigma toward MOUD was 6% higher (β=0.28, SE=0.1, p≤0.05), and stigma toward naloxone was 10% higher (β=0.46, SE=0.1, p≤0.01) than among stakeholders from urban communities. No significant differences in the three stigma variables were found among communities based on racialized segregation or social inequity. CONCLUSION Perceived community stigma toward people treated for OUD, MOUD, and naloxone was higher among stakeholders in rural communities than in urban communities. Findings suggest that interventions and policies to reduce community-level stigma, particularly in rural areas, are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alissa Davis
- Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, NY, United States.
| | - Kristi Lynn Stringer
- Department of Health and Human Performance, Community and Public Health, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, United States
| | - Mari-Lynn Drainoni
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedesian School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Health Law, Policy & Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Carrie B Oser
- Department of Sociology, Center on Drug & Alcohol Research, Center for Health Equity Transformation, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Hannah K Knudsen
- Department of Behavioral Science, Center on Drug & Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Alison Aldrich
- CATALYST, Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Hilary L Surratt
- Department of Behavioral Science, Center on Drug & Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Daniel M Walker
- CATALYST, Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Louisa Gilbert
- Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, NY, United States
| | - Dget L Downey
- Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sam D Gardner
- Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sylvia Tan
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Lisa M Lines
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | | | - Nicole Mack
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - JaNae Holloway
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Karsten Lunze
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedesian School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ann Scheck McAlearney
- CATALYST, Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Timothy R Huerta
- CATALYST, Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | | | - Nabila El-Bassel
- Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, NY, United States
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15
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Brothers TD, Lewer D, Jones N, Colledge-Frisby S, Bonn M, Wheeler A, Grebely J, Farrell M, Hickman M, Hayward A, Degenhardt L. Effect of incarceration and opioid agonist treatment transitions on risk of hospitalisation with injection drug use-associated bacterial infections: A self-controlled case series in New South Wales, Australia. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 122:104218. [PMID: 37813083 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transitional times in opioid use, such as release from prison and discontinuation of opioid agonist treatment (OAT), are associated with health harms due to changing drug consumption practices and limited access to health and social supports. Using a self-controlled (within-person) study design, we aimed to understand if these transitions increase risks of injection drug use-associated bacterial infections. METHODS We performed a self-controlled case series among a cohort of people with opioid use disorder (who had all previously accessed OAT) in New South Wales, Australia, 2001-2018. The outcome was hospitalisation with injecting-related bacterial infections. We divided participants' observed days into time windows related to incarceration and OAT receipt. We compared hospitalization rates during focal (exposure) windows and referent (control) windows (i.e., 5-52 weeks continuously not incarcerated or continuously receiving OAT). We estimated adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR) using conditional logistic regression, adjusted for time-varying confounders. RESULTS There were 7590 participants who experienced hospitalisation with injecting-related bacterial infections (35% female; median age 38 years; 78% hospitalised with skin and soft-tissue infections). Risk for injecting-related bacterial infections was elevated for two weeks following release from prison (aIRR 1.45; 95%CI 1.22-1.72). Risk was increased during two weeks before (aIRR 1.89; 95%CI 1.59-2.25) and after (aIRR 1.91; 95%CI 1.54-2.36) discontinuation of OAT, and during two weeks before (aIRR 3.63; 95%CI 3.13-4.22) and after (aIRR 2.52; 95%CI 2.09-3.04) OAT initiation. CONCLUSION Risk of injecting-related bacterial infections varies greatly within-individuals over time. Risk is raised immediately after prison release, and around initiation and discontinuation of OAT. Social contextual factors likely contribute to excess risks at transitions in incarceration and OAT exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Brothers
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales, Australia; UCL Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, United Kingdom; Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Canada.
| | - Dan Lewer
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales, Australia; UCL Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, United Kingdom; Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola Jones
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Matthew Bonn
- Canadian Association of People who Use Drugs (CAPUD), Canada
| | - Alice Wheeler
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jason Grebely
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael Farrell
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - Matthew Hickman
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Hayward
- UCL Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Louisa Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales, Australia
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16
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Lin Q, Aguilera JAR, Williams LD, Mackesy-Amiti ME, Latkin C, Pineros J, Kolak M, Boodram B. Social-spatial network structures among young urban and suburban persons who inject drugs in a large metropolitan area. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 122:104217. [PMID: 37862848 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies underscore the significance of adopting a syndemics approach to study opioid misuse, overdose, hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV infections, within the broader context of social and environmental contexts in already marginalized communities. Social interactions and spatial contexts are crucial structural factors that remain relatively underexplored. This study examines the intersections of social interactions and spatial contexts around injection drug use. More specifically, we investigate the experiences of different residential groups among young (aged 18-30) people who inject drugs (PWID) regarding their social interactions, travel behaviors, and locations connected to their risk behaviors. By doing so, we aim to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the multidimensional risk environment, thereby facilitating the development of informed policies. METHODS We collected and examined data regarding young PWID's egocentric injection network and geographic activity spaces (i.e., where they reside, inject drugs, purchase drugs, and meet sex partners). Participants were stratified based on the location of all place(s) of residence in the past year i.e., urban, suburban, and transient (both urban and suburban) to i) elucidate geospatial concentration of risk activities within multidimensional risk environments based on kernel density estimates; and ii) examine spatialized social networks for each residential group. RESULTS Participants were mostly non-Hispanic white (59%); 42% were urban residents, 28% suburban, and 30% transient. We identified a spatial area with concentrated risky activities for each residential group on the West side of Chicago in Illinois where a large outdoor drug market area is located. The urban group (80%) reported a smaller concentrated area (14 census tracts) compared to the transient (93%) and suburban (91%) with 30 and 51 tracts, respectively. Compared to other areas in Chicago, the identified area had significantly higher neighborhood disadvantages. Significant differences were observed in social network structures and travel behaviors: suburban participants had the most homogenous network in terms of age and residence, transient participants had the largest network (degree) and more non-redundant connections, while the urban group had the shortest travel distance for all types of risk activities. CONCLUSION Distinct residential groups exhibit varying patterns of network interaction, travel behaviors, and geographical contexts related to their risk behaviors. Nonetheless, these groups share common concentrated risk activity spaces in a large outdoor urban drug market area, underscoring the significance of accounting for risk spaces and social networks in addressing syndemics within PWID populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinyun Lin
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.
| | | | - Leslie D Williams
- Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago.
| | - Mary Ellen Mackesy-Amiti
- Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago.
| | - Carl Latkin
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
| | - Juliet Pineros
- Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago.
| | - Marynia Kolak
- Department of Geography and GIScience, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
| | - Basmattee Boodram
- Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago.
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Rosen JG, Cepeda J, Park JN. Demographic patterns and disparities in new HIV diagnoses attributed to injection drug use in the United States. AIDS 2023; 37:2262-2265. [PMID: 37877284 PMCID: PMC10605962 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000003688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
People who inject drugs (PWID) exhibit disproportionate HIV burdens in the United States. We characterized longitudinal patterns and demographic disparities in new HIV diagnoses attributed to injection drug use (IDU) in 2008-2020. Although new IDU-attributed HIV diagnoses fell by 53.9%, new HIV diagnoses remained disproportionately elevated in female (100.9/100 000), Black (258.8/100 000), and Hispanic (131.0/100 000) PWID. Despite considerable declines in new HIV diagnoses, disparities by race/ethnicity and sex persist among US PWID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph G. Rosen
- Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Javier Cepeda
- Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Ju Nyeong Park
- Harm Reduction Innovation Lab, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI
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18
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Levenson J, Textor L, Bluthenthal R, Darby A, Wahbi R, Clayton-Johnson MA. Abolition and harm reduction in the struggle for "Care, Not Cages". THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 121:104163. [PMID: 37722347 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Care that is organized around the principles of harm reduction and the movement for police and prison abolition has the potential to uproot and transform structural causes of harm and violence, in the interconnected crises of drug-related harm, policing, and punishment. The United States' crisis of overdose and drug-related harm and its system of policing and punishment are historically and empirically linked phenomena. The abandonment of people whose use of drugs leads to their premature death, in the form of an overdose, is directly and indirectly connected to wider systems of criminalization and incarceration that also produce premature suffering and death. Organizations advocating for harm reduction for people who use drugs (PWUD) and organizations seeking the abolition of police and prisons have developed in parallel albeit with different genealogies. We examine the historical origins, principles, and practical applications of the two movements to identify points of overlap and lessons to be learned for the public health goals of addressing and preventing premature suffering and death in the United States. A case study of Los Angeles (LA) County, where elected officials have promised a new paradigm of care, not punishment, frames our analysis. We show how the principles and strategies of harm reduction and abolition are both necessary to practically realizing a paradigm of care, not punishment, and achieving system transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Levenson
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, United States; Department of Anthropology, UCLA, United States; Center for Social Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, United States
| | - Lauren Textor
- Department of Anthropology, UCLA, United States; Center for Social Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, United States; Department of Psychiatry, UCLA, United States.
| | - Ricky Bluthenthal
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, USC, United States
| | - Anna Darby
- Emergency Medicine Program, LAC+USC Medical Center, Keck School of Medicine at USC, United States
| | - Rafik Wahbi
- Department of Community Health Sciences, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, United States; Frontline Wellness Network, Los Angeles, United States
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19
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Ezell JM. Opioid and polydrug use among rural sexual and gender minorities: Current knowledge and future directions. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 121:104211. [PMID: 37801911 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jerel M Ezell
- Community Health Sciences, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Center for Cultural Humility, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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Giang LM, Trang NT, Thuy DT, Nguyen HH, Diep NB, Van HTH, Truc TT, Reback CJ, Li M, Van Dung D, Shoptaw S. Using ADAPT-ITT framework to tailor evidence-based interventions for addressing methamphetamine use among methadone patients in Vietnam. Drug Alcohol Rev 2023; 42:1667-1679. [PMID: 37614129 PMCID: PMC10848814 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Methamphetamine use threatens positive treatment outcomes in substance use and HIV, for people with opioid use disorders (POUD) in many countries. This paper describes the adaptation of four evidence-based interventions (EBI) (motivational interviewing, contingency management, Matrix group model and SMS text messaging) for treating methamphetamine use among POUD receiving methadone maintenance therapy in Vietnam. METHODS Following the ADAPT-ITT (Assessment-Decision-Administration-Production-Topical experts-Training-Testing) framework, we conducted 16 focus group discussions with POUD (n = 25) and providers (n = 22) at four methadone clinics in two largest cities (Hanoi in the North, Ho Chi Minh City in the South) to assess patterns of methamphetamine use and to get feedback on proposed EBIs. The proposed EBIs were properly adapted and used to train providers in two of the four methadone clinics. The revised EBIs were tested over 12 weeks among 42 POUD on methadone who use methamphetamine. Post-intervention feedback served to fine-tune the revised EBIs. RESULTS Insights about patterns of methamphetamine use suggested that EBIs should focus on different triggers to methamphetamine use among POUD receiving methadone treatment in the two cities. All EBIs should emphasise family-related topics to build a strong motivation for treatment. Participants suggested when, where and how each EBI should be delivered. Most participants were satisfied with the adapted EBIs. Limited human resources at methadone clinics might hinder implementation of the adapted EBIs. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS We successfully completed the adaptation of EBIs for POUD who use methamphetamine on methadone in Vietnam. The pilot testing of the adapted EBIs demonstrated feasibility and acceptability. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT04706624. Registered 13 January 2021. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04706624.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Minh Giang
- Centre for Training and Research on Substance use and HIV, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Thu Trang
- Centre for Training and Research on Substance use and HIV, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Dinh Thanh Thuy
- Centre for Training and Research on Substance use and HIV, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Hoa H. Nguyen
- Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Bich Diep
- Centre for Training and Research on Substance use and HIV, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | | | - Thai Thanh Truc
- Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Cathy J. Reback
- Friends Research Institute, Friends Community Center, Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Michael Li
- Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Do Van Dung
- Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Steve Shoptaw
- Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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21
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Frank D, Elliott L, Cleland CM, Walters SM, Joudrey PJ, Russell DM, Meyerson BE, Bennett AS. "As safe as possible": a qualitative study of opioid withdrawal and risk behavior among people who use illegal opioids. Harm Reduct J 2023; 20:158. [PMID: 37891630 PMCID: PMC10605476 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00893-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opioid withdrawal is a regular occurrence among many people who use illicit opioids (PWUIO) that has also been shown to increase their willingness to engage in risk-involved behavior. The proliferation of fentanyl in the illicit opioid market may have amplified this relationship, potentially putting PWUIO at greater risk of negative health outcomes. Understanding the relationship between withdrawal and risk-involved behavior may also have important implications for the ways that problematic drug use is conceptualized, particularly in disease models of addiction, which position risk behavior as evidence of pathology that helps to justify ontological distinctions between addicts and non-addicts. Examining withdrawal, and its role in PWUIO's willingness to engage in risk, may aid in the development of alternative theories of risk involvement and create discursive spaces for de-medicalizing and de-othering people who use illegal drugs. METHODS This article is based on 32 semi-structured interviews with PWUIO in the New York City area who also reported recent withdrawal experience. Interviews were conducted remotely between April and August 2022 and recorded for later transcription. Data were then coded and analyzed based on a combination of inductive and deductive coding strategies and informed by the literature. RESULTS Participants described a strong relationship between withdrawal and their willingness to engage in risk-involved behavior that was exacerbated by the proliferation of fentanyl. Yet, their descriptions did not align with narratives of risk as a product of bad decisions made by individuals. Rather, data demonstrated the substantial role of social and structural context, particularly drug policies like prohibition and criminalization, in the kinds of risks that PWUIO faced and their ability to respond to them. CONCLUSIONS Withdrawal should be taken more seriously both from an ethical perspective and as an important catalyst of risk behavior. However, theories that position activities taken to avoid withdrawal as irrational and as evidence of pathology are poorly aligned with the complexity of PWUIO's actual lives. We recommend the use of less deterministic and less medicalized theories of risk that better account for differences between how people view the world, and for the role of socio-structural forces in the production of risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Frank
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
- Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
- , Woodside, NY, 11377, USA.
| | - Luther Elliott
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
- Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Charles M Cleland
- Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
- Department of Population Health, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Suzan M Walters
- Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Paul J Joudrey
- Division of General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Danielle M Russell
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85711, USA
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85711, USA
| | - Beth E Meyerson
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85711, USA
| | - Alex S Bennett
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
- Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
- Center for Anti-Racism, Social Justice, and Public Health, 708 Broadway, 9th floor, New York, NY, 10003, USA
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22
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Rhodes T, Ordoñez LS, Acero C, Harris M, Holland A, Sanín FG. Caring for coca, living with chemicals: Towards ecological harm reduction. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 120:104179. [PMID: 37657149 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we show how the materialisation of chemical harms linked to the cultivation of coca and its processing into coca paste reside in a wider politics of structural violence which is also situated ecologically. Drawing on the qualitative interview accounts of coca farmers in Putumayo, Colombia, we attend to practices of care in the field and in the laboratory. We look first at chemicals used in coca's cultivation (herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides), and second at chemicals (such as sulphuric acid, sodium carbonate, magnesium permanganate) used in the processing of coca leaf into paste (before the paste is sold on for refinement into cocaine). Our analysis highlights the tensions which inevitably arise in the balance and multiplicities of care - for crops, livelihood, and environment. We trace how farmers' narratives of the neutralisation of chemical risks habituate chemical harms as mundane, even uneventful, in an economic imperative to 'carry on as normal' in the coca economy. We emphasise health and harm as matters of care which not only affect humans but living environments. Accounts of 'risk environment' can give insufficient attention to Nature, and this leads us to consider 'ecological harm reduction'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Rhodes
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Linda Sofía Ordoñez
- Instituto de Estudios Politicos y Relaciones Internacionales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Camilo Acero
- Instituto de Estudios Politicos y Relaciones Internacionales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Adam Holland
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Francisco Gutiérrez Sanín
- Instituto de Estudios Politicos y Relaciones Internacionales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
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23
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Enich M, Flumo R, Campos S, Flores N, Sullivan N, Mellor J, O'Neill C, Nyaku AN. Overdose education and naloxone distribution program design informed by people who use drugs and naloxone distributors. Prev Med Rep 2023; 35:102374. [PMID: 37680861 PMCID: PMC10480625 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
People who use drugs (PWUD) are the most directly affected by the overdose epidemic. However, they are not often targets of overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) programs. Instead, these programs target friends or family members of people prescribed opioids or general community members. This study aimed to understand the perspectives of PWUD and community naloxone distributors on OEND program design. We used a community-based participatory research model to elucidate participant perspectives on what OEND programs should look like in the context of each individual's specific risk environment. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with PWUD and naloxone distributors (n = 30) in New Brunswick and Newark, New Jersey between February and November of 2022. We analyzed interviews using thematic analysis and identified the following themes: increasing naloxone knowledge, peer-based naloxone access, increasing PWUD-informed OEND program design, and desired broader OEND program scope. All Participants knew what naloxone was and emphasized that naloxone needed to be ubiquitous in the community. Participants prioritized peer-based distribution, integrating distribution into community organizations, and addressing psychosocial issues related to naloxone administration and drug use. In summary, PWUD and community naloxone distributors emphasized peer-led community naloxone distribution that prioritized novel ways for PWUD to access naloxone. OEND program design should prioritize PWUD's perspectives and direct community naloxone distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Enich
- Rutgers University School of Social Work, 120 Albany Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition, 37 Easton Ave., Suite 200, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. USA
| | - Rachel Flumo
- Rutgers University School of Public Health, 163 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Stephanie Campos
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Department of Anthropology, 524 West 59th Street, New York, NY 10019. USA
| | - Netanya Flores
- Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, 148 N 8 St, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Nora Sullivan
- Rutgers University School of Social Work, 120 Albany Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Jenna Mellor
- New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition, 37 Easton Ave., Suite 200, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. USA
| | - Caitlin O'Neill
- New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition, 37 Easton Ave., Suite 200, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. USA
| | - Amesika N. Nyaku
- New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition, 37 Easton Ave., Suite 200, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. USA
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, 185 South Orange Ave, MSB I689, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
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Brothers TD, Bonn M, Lewer D, Comeau E, Kim I, Webster D, Hayward A, Harris M. Social and structural determinants of injection drug use-associated bacterial and fungal infections: A qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis. Addiction 2023; 118:1853-1877. [PMID: 37170877 DOI: 10.1111/add.16257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Injection drug use-associated bacterial and fungal infections are increasingly common, and social contexts shape individuals' injecting practices and treatment experiences. We sought to synthesize qualitative studies of social-structural factors influencing incidence and treatment of injecting-related infections. METHODS We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL and PsycINFO from 1 January 2000 to 18 February 2021. Informed by Rhodes' 'risk environment' framework, we performed thematic synthesis in three stages: (1) line-by-line coding; (2) organizing codes into descriptive themes, reflecting interpretations of study authors; and (3) consolidating descriptive themes into conceptual categories to identify higher-order analytical themes. RESULTS We screened 4841 abstracts and included 26 qualitative studies on experiences of injecting-related bacterial and fungal infections. We identified six descriptive themes organized into two analytical themes. The first analytical theme, social production of risk, considered macro-environmental influences. Four descriptive themes highlighted pathways through which this occurs: (1) unregulated drug supply, leading to poor drug quality and solubility; (2) unsafe spaces, influenced by policing practices and insecure housing; (3) health-care policies and practices, leading to negative experiences that discourage access to care; and (4) restrictions on harm reduction programmes, including structural barriers to effective service provision. The second analytical theme, practices of care among people who use drugs, addressed protective strategies that people employ within infection risk environments. Associated descriptive themes were: (5) mutual care, including assisted-injecting and sharing sterile equipment; and (6) self-care, including vein health and self-treatment. Within constraining risk environments, some protective strategies for bacterial infections precipitated other health risks (e.g. HIV transmission). CONCLUSIONS Injecting-related bacterial and fungal infections are shaped by modifiable social-structural factors, including poor quality unregulated drugs, criminalization and policing enforcement, insufficient housing, limited harm reduction services and harmful health-care practices. People who inject drugs navigate these barriers while attempting to protect themselves and their community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Brothers
- UCL Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Matthew Bonn
- Canadian Association of People who Use Drugs (CAPUD), Dartmouth, Canada
| | - Dan Lewer
- UCL Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, UK
| | - Emilie Comeau
- Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Inhwa Kim
- Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Duncan Webster
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Saint John Regional Hospital, Saint John, Canada
| | - Andrew Hayward
- UCL Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, UK
| | - Magdalena Harris
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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25
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Sekeris A, Algahtani T, Aldabergenov D, Rock KL, Auwal F, Aldewaissan F, Williams BD, Kalk NJ, Copeland CS. Trends in deaths following drug use in England before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdowns. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1232593. [PMID: 37841731 PMCID: PMC10570433 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1232593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim This research aimed to describe how the characteristics of deaths following drug use changed during the COVID-19 pandemic in England, and how this can inform future strategy to support the health and social care of people who use drugs in future emergency scenarios. Method All deaths reported to the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths which occurred between January 2018 and December 2021 inclusive were extracted for analysis. Exponential smoothing models were constructed to determine any differences between forecasted vs. actual trends. Key results Following the first lockdown period in England there were significant increases in the proportion of people who died at home beyond the 95% confidence bounds of the exponential smoothing model and concurrent decreases in the proportion of people who died in hospital. Whilst the overall proportion of deaths attributable to opioids did not significantly deviate from the forecasted trend, there were significant increases in methadone-related deaths and decreases in heroin/morphine-related death beyond the 95% confidence bounds. The proportion of deaths concluded as suicide increased, as did those implicating antidepressant use. There were no changes in the proportion of deaths following use of other drug classes, alcohol use in combination with psychoactive drugs, or on decedent demographics (gender, age, and drug user status). A small number of deaths due to drug use had COVID-19 infection itself listed as a cause of death (n = 23). Conclusion For people who use drugs, the impact of the restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic was greater than that of infection from the virus itself. The health and social care strategy for these people needs to be pre-emptively adapted to mitigate against the specific risk factors for fatal drug overdose associated with future emergency scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Sekeris
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Medicine Research, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thikra Algahtani
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Medicine Research, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniyar Aldabergenov
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Medicine Research, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kirsten L. Rock
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Medicine Research, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fatima Auwal
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Medicine Research, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Farah Aldewaissan
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Medicine Research, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bryn D. Williams
- Department of Anaesthetics, Royal Free Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola J. Kalk
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline S. Copeland
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Medicine Research, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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26
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Zaccheo SK, Marrone G, Pandey LR, Deuba K. The impact of border crossing and imprisonment on injection practices and risk of HIV and hepatitis C infection among men who inject drugs in Nepal. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 119:104145. [PMID: 37549595 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Nepal, personal drug use is criminalized and among people who inject drugs (PWID), the majority of whom are men, movement across the border with India for drug procurement and use is common. Using a risk environment approach, this study examined associations between border crossing and imprisonment with respect to HIV, HCV and injection risk behavior among men who inject drugs in Nepal. METHODS This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 1345 participants from 14 districts across Nepal. Explanatory variables were prior imprisonment and past-month border crossing to procure or use drugs. We used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate associations between these variables and HIV, HCV, HIV/HCV co-infection and past-month injection risk behavior among PWID. RESULTS Over half of participants reported prior imprisonment (34.6% prior to past year, 21.6% within past year) and Indo-Nepal border crossing in the past year to use or buy drugs (31.2% sometimes, 20.8% often); over one quarter of participants (29.6%) reported both. Imprisonment prior to the past year was associated with higher odds of all outcome variables: HIV (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29-4.59), HCV (aOR 1.51, 95% CI 1.08-2.09), HIV/HCV co-infection (aOR 3.12, 95% CI 1.58-6.14) and injection risk behavior (aOR 1.64, 95% CI 1.20-2.25). Past-year border crossing to procure or use drugs was associated with HCV (aOR 2.06, 95% CI 1.42-2.98) and injection risk behavior (aOR 1.47, 95% CI 1.04-2.10), with larger effect sizes among PWID who reported both border crossing as well as history of imprisonment. CONCLUSION Imprisonment and border crossing were associated with injection risk behavior and disease outcomes. These findings indicate a need to implement cross-border disease surveillance and harm reduction initiatives in the Indo-Nepal border region and in Nepali prisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia K Zaccheo
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gaetano Marrone
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lok Raj Pandey
- National Centre for AIDS and STD Control (NCASC), Ministry of Health and Population, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Keshab Deuba
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; National Centre for AIDS and STD Control (NCASC), Global Fund Programs, Kathmandu, Nepal.
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27
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Moon KJ, Bryant I, Trinh A, Hasenstab KA, Carter B, Barclay R, Nawaz S. Differential risks of syringe service program participants in Central Ohio: a latent class analysis. Harm Reduct J 2023; 20:97. [PMID: 37507721 PMCID: PMC10386257 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00824-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Significant heterogeneity exists among people who use drugs (PWUD). We identify distinct profiles of syringe service program (SSP) clients to (a) evaluate differential risk factors across subgroups and (b) inform harm reduction programming. METHODS Latent class analysis (LCA) was applied to identify subgroups of participants (N = 3418) in a SSP in Columbus, Ohio, from 2019 to 2021. Demographics (age, sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, housing status) and drug use characteristics (substance[s] used, syringe gauge, needle length, using alone, mixing drugs, sharing supplies, reducing use, self-reported perceptions on the impact of use, and treatment/support resources) were used as indicators to define latent classes. A five-class LCA model was developed, and logistic regression was then employed to compare risk factors at program initiation and at follow-up visits between latent classes. RESULTS Five latent classes were identified: (1) heterosexual males using opioids/stimulants with housing instability and limited resources for treatment/support (16.1%), (2) heterosexual individuals using opioids with stable housing and resources for treatment/support (33.1%), (3) individuals using methamphetamine (12.4%), (4) young white individuals using opioids/methamphetamine (20.5%), and (5) females using opioids/cocaine (17.9%). Class 2 served as the reference group for logistic regression models, and at the time of entry, class 1 was more likely to report history of substance use treatment, overdose, HCV, sharing supplies, and mixing drugs, with persistently higher odds of sharing supplies and mixing drugs at follow-up. Class 3 was more likely to report history of overdose, sharing supplies, and mixing drugs, but outcomes at follow-up were comparable. Class 4 was the least likely to report history of overdose, HCV, and mixing drugs, but the most likely to report HIV. Class 5 was more likely to report history of substance use treatment, overdose, HCV, sharing supplies, and mixing drugs at entry, and higher reports of accessing substance use treatment and testing positive for HCV persisted at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Considerable heterogeneity exists among PWUD, leading to differential risk factors that may persist throughout engagement in harm reduction services. LCA can identify distinct profiles of PWUD accessing services to tailor interventions that address risks, improve outcomes, and mitigate disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J Moon
- Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Evaluation Studies (HOPES), The Ohio State University College of Public Health, 381 Cunz Hall, 1841 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Ian Bryant
- Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Evaluation Studies (HOPES), The Ohio State University College of Public Health, 381 Cunz Hall, 1841 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Anne Trinh
- Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Evaluation Studies (HOPES), The Ohio State University College of Public Health, 381 Cunz Hall, 1841 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Kathryn A Hasenstab
- Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Evaluation Studies (HOPES), The Ohio State University College of Public Health, 381 Cunz Hall, 1841 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | | | | | - Saira Nawaz
- Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Evaluation Studies (HOPES), The Ohio State University College of Public Health, 381 Cunz Hall, 1841 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
- Division of Health Services Management and Policy, The Ohio State University College of Public Health, Columbus, OH, USA.
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28
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Cooper L, Rosen JG, Zhang L, Pelaez D, Olatunde PF, Owczarzak J, Park JN, Glick JL. Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare and substance use service access among women who inject drugs: a qualitative study. Harm Reduct J 2023; 20:71. [PMID: 37296423 PMCID: PMC10251329 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00793-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare and substance use services engagement, including primary and mental health services as well as residential and outpatient drug treatment. Women who inject drugs (WWID) face known barriers to healthcare and substance use service engagement, which pre-date the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 on WWID's engagement with healthcare and substance use services, however, remains understudied. METHODS To explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on service-seeking and utilization, we conducted in-depth interviews with 27 cisgender WWID in Baltimore, Maryland, in April-September 2021. Iterative, team-based thematic analysis of interview transcripts identified disruptions and adaptations to healthcare and substance use services during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted service engagement for WWID through service closures, pandemic safety measures restricting in-person service provision, and concerns related to contracting COVID-19 at service sites. However, participants also described various service adaptations, including telehealth, multi-month prescriptions, and expanded service delivery modalities (e.g., mobile and home delivery of harm reduction services), which overwhelmingly increased service engagement. CONCLUSION To build upon service adaptations occurring during the pandemic and maximize expanded access for WWID, it is vital for healthcare and substance use service providers to continue prioritizing expansion of service delivery modality options, like telehealth and the provision of existing harm reduction services through alternative platforms (e.g., mobile services), that facilitate care continuity and increase coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyra Cooper
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
- Oakland, USA
| | - Joseph G. Rosen
- Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Leanne Zhang
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Danielle Pelaez
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Praise F. Olatunde
- Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Jill Owczarzak
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Ju Nyeong Park
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI USA
- Center for Biomedical Research Excellence on Opioids and Overdose, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI USA
| | - Jennifer L. Glick
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
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Nolen S, Wilson T, Jacka BP, Li Y, Beaudoin FL, Marshall BD. Prevalence and correlates of experiencing drug-related discrimination among people who use drugs presenting at emergency department at high risk of opioid overdose. Addict Behav Rep 2023; 17:100496. [PMID: 37249941 PMCID: PMC10213175 DOI: 10.1016/j.abrep.2023.100496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives Our objective is to determine if specific sociodemographic characteristics were associated with perceived drug-related discrimination among people who use drugs (PWUD) presenting for care in the emergency department (ED). Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Navigator trial, a randomized control trial of two behavioral interventions in the ED for people at risk of an opioid overdose. Participants included adult patients presenting to two Rhode Island EDs. Eligible participants included those high risk for an opioid overdose, resided or received most of their healthcare in Rhode Island, and were able to provide consent. The primary outcome of this analysis was self-reported feelings of drug-related discrimination by the medical community. The independent variables of interest included race/ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Log-binomial multivariable regression models were constructed with all three independent variables of interest and a selection of sociodemographic covariates. Results Of 620 eligible participants, 251 (40.5%) reported ever experiencing drug-related discrimination in their lifetime. In the adjusted model, participants who identified as women and participants who identified as LGBQIA+ were more likely to report experiencing drug-related discrimination from the medical community in EDs. Racial/ethnic minority groups were less likely than White (non-Hispanic) participants to report drug-related discrimination. Discussion In this study population, White participants reported more drug-related discrimination than their minority counterparts, although female and LGBQIA+ patients reported more discrimination. Future studies should further assess the significance of these intersecting identities on self-reported discrimination. This knowledge could improve ED-based interventions, policies, and services for PWUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shayla Nolen
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main St, Box G-S-121-2, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Taneisha Wilson
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Brendan P. Jacka
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main St, Box G-S-121-2, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Yu Li
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main St, Box G-S-121-2, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Francesca L. Beaudoin
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main St, Box G-S-121-2, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Brandon D.L. Marshall
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main St, Box G-S-121-2, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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Pakhomova TE, Nicholson V, Fischer M, Ferguson J, Moore DM, Salters K, Lester RT, Kremer H, Dawydiuk N, Barrios R, Parashar S. Exploring Primary Healthcare Experiences and Interest in Mobile Technology Engagement Amongst an Urban Population Experiencing Barriers to Care. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2023:10497323231167829. [PMID: 37225177 DOI: 10.1177/10497323231167829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Mobile phone-based engagement approaches provide potential platforms for improving access to primary healthcare (PHC) services for underserved populations. We held two focus groups (February 2020) with residents (n = 25) from a low-income urban neighbourhood (downtown Vancouver, Canada), to assess recent healthcare experiences and elicit interest in mobile phone-based healthcare engagement for underserved residents. Note-based analysis, guided by interpretative description, was used to explore emerging themes. Engagement in PHC was complicated by multiple, intersecting personal-level and socio-structural factors, and experiences of stigma and discrimination from care providers. Perceived inadequacy of PHC services and pervasive discrimination reported by participants indicate a significant and ongoing need to improve client-provider relationships to address unmet health needs. Mobile phone-based engagement was endorsed, highlighting phone ownership and client-provider text-messaging, facilitated by non-clinical staff such as peers, as helpful to strengthening retention and facilitating care team connection. Concerns raised included reliability, cost, and technology and language accessibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana E Pakhomova
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Valerie Nicholson
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Matthew Fischer
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Joanna Ferguson
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - David M Moore
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kate Salters
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Richard T Lester
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Hayden Kremer
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Nicole Dawydiuk
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rolando Barrios
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Surita Parashar
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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31
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Nygaard-Christensen M, Søgaard TF. What's in Stock? Drug drought anticipation during COVID-19 among people who use drugs and service providers. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 117:104048. [PMID: 37182349 PMCID: PMC10165055 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As with other areas of life, drug markets have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions. This article examines how structurally vulnerable people who use drugs (PWUD) experienced and adapted to changes in street drug markets caused by lockdown measures. METHODS The article builds on ethnographic fieldwork in two Danish cities in 2020, including in-depth interviews with 22 PWUD, and interviews with 20 service providers, including low-threshold service providers and outreach workers. RESULTS The most consistently reported effect of lockdown measures on local drug markets related to increases in cannabis prices. Accounts of changes in drug availability varied greatly, with some participants reporting changing availability while others described the situation as similar to pre-lockdown conditions. Rather than a long-term drug shortage, changes reported by participants related to the anticipated disruption of local markets and drug scarcity, restrictions in access to cash and sellers seeking to capitalize on the crisis. CONCLUSION Although no long-term drug scarcity was seen, the anticipation of a shortage was sufficient to impact on local drug market dynamics. Heterogeneity in PWUDs' experiences of access to drug markets during lockdown can to some degree be explained in terms of their varied embeddedness in social networks. While local markets proved resilient to lockdown measures, PWUD less embedded in social networks were more vulnerable to shifts in drug availability and to sellers' over-pricing of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maj Nygaard-Christensen
- Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Aarhus University, Bartholins Alle 10, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Thomas Friis Søgaard
- Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Aarhus University, Bartholins Alle 10, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Goodyear T, Ferlatte O, Fast D, Salway T, Jenkins E, Robinson S, Knight R. Using photovoice to understand experiences of opioid use among sexual and gender minority youth in Vancouver, Canada. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2023; 25:599-616. [PMID: 35622430 PMCID: PMC9701249 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2022.2079153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
In Canada, sexual and gender minority youth use opioids at disproportionately high rates. Yet, little is known about the distinct contexts of opioid use within this group, challenging capacity to develop well founded policy and practice supports. This case study aims to examine - in depth - the experiences and contexts of opioid use among a sample of four sexual and gender minority youth in Vancouver, Canada. Qualitative data from photovoice methods and in-depth, semi-structured interviews were collected in 2019. Analysis adopted a reflexive thematic approach from a critical interpretive standpoint, informed by minority stress theory. Three interconnected themes were constructed: (i) minoritised contexts of entry into and continuation of opioid use; (ii) mental health-maintaining and stress-mitigating effects of opioid use in the context of minoritisation; and (iii) intersections of stigma, violence and poverty with opioid use and minoritisation. Findings suggest that the health of sexual and gender minority youth who use opioids is shaped by minority stress and overlapping forms of structural marginalisation. They signal the need for responsive strategies that hold promise in supporting this population, including advancing integrated approaches to substance use and mental health care alongside interventions targeted towards the social and structural determinants of health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor Goodyear
- School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Olivier Ferlatte
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique, Université de Montréal et CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Danya Fast
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Travis Salway
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Emily Jenkins
- School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Samantha Robinson
- School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rod Knight
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Foreman-Mackey A, Xavier J, Corser J, Fleury M, Lock K, Mehta A, Lamb J, McDougall J, Newman C, Buxton JA. "It's just a perfect storm": Exploring the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on overdose risk in British Columbia from the perspectives of people who use substances. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:640. [PMID: 37013524 PMCID: PMC10069735 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15474-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the implementation and expansion of public health and harm reduction strategies aimed at preventing and reversing overdoses, rates of overdose-related events and fatalities continue to rise in British Columbia. The COVID-19 pandemic created a second, concurrent public health emergency that further exacerbated the illicit drug toxicity crisis, reinforced existing social inequities and vulnerabilities, and highlighted the precariousness of systems in place that are meant to protect the health of communities. By exploring the perspectives of people with recent experience of illicit substance use, this study sought to characterize how the COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures influenced risk and protective factors related to unintentional overdose by altering the environment in which people live and use substances, influencing the ability of people who use substances to be safe and well. METHODS One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted by phone or in-person with people who use illicit substances (n = 62) across the province. Thematic analysis was performed to identify factors shaping the overdose risk environment. RESULTS Participants pointed to factors that increased risk of overdose, including: [1] physical distancing measures that created social and physical isolation and led to more substance use alone without bystanders nearby able to respond in the event of an emergency; [2] early drug price spikes and supply chain issues that created inconsistencies in drug availability; [3] increasing toxicity and impurities in unregulated substances; [4] restriction of harm reduction services and supply distribution sites; and [5] additional burden placed on peer workers on the frontlines of the illicit drug toxicity crisis. Despite these challenges, participants highlighted factors that protected against overdose and substance-related harm, including the emergence of new programs, the resiliency of communities of people who use substances who expanded their outreach efforts, the existence of established social relationships, and the ways that individuals consistently prioritized overdose response over concerns about COVID-19 transmission to care for one another. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this study illustrate the complex contextual factors that shape overdose risk and highlight the importance of ensuring that the needs of people who use substances are addressed in future public health emergency responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Foreman-Mackey
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4R4, Canada.
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 317 - 2194 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Jessica Xavier
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4R4, Canada
| | - Jenny Corser
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4R4, Canada
| | - Mathew Fleury
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4R4, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, SFU, Blusson Hall, Room 11300, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
- First Nations Health Authority, 540-757 West Hastings St, Vancouver, BC, V6C 1A1, Canada
| | - Kurt Lock
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4R4, Canada
| | - Amiti Mehta
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4R4, Canada
- First Nations Health Authority, 540-757 West Hastings St, Vancouver, BC, V6C 1A1, Canada
| | - Jessica Lamb
- Professionals for Ethical Engagement of Peers, Peer Engagement and Evaluation Project, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4R4, Canada
| | - Jenny McDougall
- Professionals for Ethical Engagement of Peers, Peer Engagement and Evaluation Project, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4R4, Canada
| | - Cheri Newman
- Professionals for Ethical Engagement of Peers, Peer Engagement and Evaluation Project, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4R4, Canada
| | - Jane A Buxton
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4R4, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
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Dahlby L, Boyd J, Knight R, Philbin M, Small W, Kerr T, McNeil R. The perspectives of street-involved youth who use drugs regarding the acceptability and feasibility of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis: a qualitative study. AIDS Care 2023; 35:480-487. [PMID: 35698454 PMCID: PMC9930182 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2022.2085868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Street-involved youth who use drugs (YWUD) face an elevated risk of HIV acquisition and represent a key population for HIV prevention initiatives, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). However, little is known regarding the acceptability and feasibility of PrEP uptake and adherence among this multiply-marginalized population. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 street-involved YWUD (ages 17-24) to examine their perspectives toward PrEP; youth were recruited through a longitudinal prospective cohort study in Vancouver, Canada. Youth reported high levels of ambivalence toward PrEP despite engagement in HIV-related risk behaviors. This ambivalence was driven by misperceptions regarding HIV transmission, including stigmatizing associations between HIV transmission and personal hygiene. Such misperceptions led participants to enact strategies that were ineffective in preventing HIV transmission. Participants contested their inclusion as a "key population" for PrEP, which limited their enthusiasm for PrEP uptake and adherence. Participants also highlighted that wider social-structural inequities (e.g., housing vulnerability, poverty) that produced HIV-related risks were likely to undermine sustained PrEP use. Findings demonstrate the need for tailored implementation strategies to increase PrEP acceptability, including targeted education and anti-stigma interventions to increase awareness about HIV transmission. Interventions should also target structural inequities in order to fully address HIV risk and PrEP ambivalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Dahlby
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
| | - Jade Boyd
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul’s Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Rod Knight
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul’s Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Morgan Philbin
- Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th St. NY, NY 10032
| | - Will Small
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6
| | - Thomas Kerr
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul’s Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Ryan McNeil
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
- Yale School of Medicine (Internal Medicine), 367 Cedar St, New Haven, CT, 06510
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Degenhardt L, Webb P, Colledge-Frisby S, Ireland J, Wheeler A, Ottaviano S, Willing A, Kairouz A, Cunningham EB, Hajarizadeh B, Leung J, Tran LT, Price O, Peacock A, Vickerman P, Farrell M, Dore GJ, Hickman M, Grebely J. Epidemiology of injecting drug use, prevalence of injecting-related harm, and exposure to behavioural and environmental risks among people who inject drugs: a systematic review. THE LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH 2023; 11:e659-e672. [PMID: 36996857 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(23)00057-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People who inject drugs are exposed to various and changing risk environments and are at risk of multiple harms related to injecting drug use (IDU). We aimed to undertake a global systematic review of the prevalence of IDU, key IDU-related harms (including HIV, hepatitis C virus [HCV], and hepatitis B virus [HBV] infection and overdose), and key sociodemographic characteristics and risk exposures for people who inject drugs. METHODS We systematically searched for data published between Jan 1, 2017, and March 31, 2022, in databases of peer-reviewed literature (MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO) and grey literature as well as various agency or organisational websites, and disseminated data requests to international experts and agencies. We searched for data on the prevalence, characteristics, and risks of people who inject drugs, including gender, age, sexuality, drug-use patterns, HIV, HCV, and HBV infections, non-fatal overdose, depression, anxiety, and injecting-related disease. Additional data were extracted from studies identified in our previous review. Meta-analyses were used to pool the data where multiple estimates were available for a country. We present country, regional, and global estimates for each variable examined. FINDINGS We screened 40 427 reports published between 2017 and 2022, and the 871 eligible reports identified were added to the 1147 documents from the previous review. Evidence of IDU was documented in 190 of 207 countries and territories, and 14·8 million people (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 10·0-21·7) aged 15-64 years globally were estimated to inject drugs. Existing evidence suggests that there might be 2·8 million (95% UI 2·4-3·2) women and 12·1 million (95% UI 11·0-13·3) men who inject drugs globally, and that 0·4% (95% CI 0·3-1·3) of people who inject drugs identify as transgender. The amount of available data on key health and social risks among people who inject drugs varied widely across countries and regions. We estimated that 24·8% (95% CI 19·5-31·6) of people who inject drugs globally had experienced recent homelessness or unstable housing, 58·4% (95% CI 52·0-64·8) had a lifetime history of incarceration, and 14·9% (95% CI 8·1-24·3) had recently engaged in sex work, with substantial geographical variation. Injecting and sexual risk behaviour varied considerably geographically, as did risks of harms. Globally, we estimated that 15·2% (95% CI 10·3-20·9) of people who inject drugs are living with HIV, 38·8% (95% CI 31·4-46·9) have current HCV infection, 18·5% (95% CI 13·9-24·1) have recently overdosed, and 31·7% (95% CI 23·6-40·5) have had a recent skin or soft tissue infection. INTERPRETATION IDU is being identified in a growing number of countries and territories that comprise more than 99% of the global population. IDU-related health harms are common, and people who inject drugs continue to be exposed to multiple adverse risk environments. However, quantification of many of these exposure and harms is inadequate and must be improved to allow for better targeting of harm-reduction interventions for these risks. FUNDING Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louisa Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Paige Webb
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Samantha Colledge-Frisby
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; National Drug Research Institute Melbourne, Curtin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jeremy Ireland
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alice Wheeler
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sophie Ottaviano
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alex Willing
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Abe Kairouz
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Evan B Cunningham
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Janni Leung
- National Centre For Youth Substance Use Research, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Lucy T Tran
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Olivia Price
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Amy Peacock
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter Vickerman
- Population Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Michael Farrell
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Gregory J Dore
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Matthew Hickman
- Population Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jason Grebely
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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36
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Mayer S, Langheimer V, Nolan S, Boyd J, Small W, McNeil R. Emergency department experiences of people who use drugs who left or were discharged from hospital against medical advice. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282215. [PMID: 36821576 PMCID: PMC9949621 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People who use drugs (PWUD) frequent emergency departments at a higher rate than the general population, and experience a greater frequency of soft tissue infections, pneumonia, and chronic conditions such as, HIV/AIDs and hepatitis C. This population has distinct health care considerations (e.g. withdrawal management) and are also more likely to leave or be discharged from hospital against medical advice. METHODS This study examines the experiences of PWUD who have left or been discharged from hospital against medical advice to understand the structural vulnerabilities that shape experiences with emergency departments. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 PWUD who have left or been discharged from hospital against medical advice within the past two years as part of a larger study on hospital care and drug use in Vancouver, Canada. RESULTS Findings characterize the experiences and perceptions of PWUD in emergency department settings, and include: (1) stigmatization of PWUD and compounding experiences of discrimination; (2) perceptions of overall neglect; (3) inadequate pain and withdrawal management; and (4) leaving ED against medical advice and a lack of willingness to engage in future care. CONCLUSIONS Structural vulnerabilities in ED can negatively impact the care received among PWUD. Findings demonstrate the need to consider how structural factors impact care for PWUD and to leverage existing infrastructure to incorporate harm reduction and a structural competency focused care. Findings also point to the need to consider how withdrawal and pain are managed in emergency department settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samara Mayer
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Verena Langheimer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Seonaid Nolan
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jade Boyd
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Will Small
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ryan McNeil
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Yale Program in Addiction Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
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Lin Q, Rojas Aguilera JA, Williams LD, Mackesy-Amiti ME, Latkin C, Pineros J, Kolak M, Boodram B. Social-spatial network structures among young urban and suburban persons who inject drugs in a large metropolitan area. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.02.21.23286255. [PMID: 36865191 PMCID: PMC9980242 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.21.23286255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Background It is estimated that there are 1.5% US adult population who inject drugs in 2018, with young adults aged 18-39 showing the highest prevalence. PWID are at a high risk of many blood-borne infections. Recent studies have highlight the importance of employing the syndemic approach to study opioid misuse, overdose, HCV and HIV, along with the social and environmental contexts where these interrelated epidemics occur in already marginalized communities. Social interactions and spatial contexts are important structural factors that are understudied. Methods Egocentric injection network and geographic activity spaces for young (aged 18-30) PWID and their injection, sexual, and social support network members (i.e., where reside, inject drugs, purchase drugs, and meet sex partners) were examined using baseline data from an ongoing longitudinal study (n=258). Participants were stratified based on the location of all place(s) of residence in the past year i.e., urban, suburban, and transient (both urban and suburban) to i) elucidate geospatial concentration of risk activities within multi-dimensional risk environments based on kernel density estimates; and ii) examine spatialized social networks for each residential group. Results Participants were mostly non-Hispanic white (59%); 42% were urban residents, 28% suburban, and 30% transient. We identified a spatial area with concentrated risky activities for each residence group on the West side of Chicago where a large outdoor drug market area is located. The urban group (80%) reported a smaller concentrated area (14 census tracts) compared to the transient (93%) and suburban (91%) with 30 and 51 tracts, respectively. Compared to other areas in Chicago, the identified area had significantly higher neighborhood disadvantages (e.g., higher poverty rate, p <0.001). Significant ( p <0.01 for all) differences were observed in social network structures: suburban had the most homogenous network in terms of age and residence, transient participants had the largest network (degree) and more non-redundant connections. Conclusion We identified concentrated risk activity spaces among PWID from urban, suburban, and transient groups in a large outdoor urban drug market area, which highlights the need for considering the role of risk spaces and social networks in addressing the syndemics in PWID populations.
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Walters SM, Frank D, Felsher M, Jaiswal J, Fletcher S, Bennett AS, Friedman SR, Ouellet LJ, Ompad DC, Jenkins W, Pho MT. How the rural risk environment underpins hepatitis C risk: Qualitative findings from rural southern Illinois, United States. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 112:103930. [PMID: 36641816 PMCID: PMC9974910 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has increased among persons who inject drugs (PWID) in the United States with disproportionate burden in rural areas. We use the Risk Environment framework to explore potential economic, physical, social, and political determinants of hepatitis C in rural southern Illinois. METHODS Nineteen in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with PWID from August 2019 through February 2020 (i.e., pre-COVID-19 pandemic) and four with key informants who professionally worked with PWID. Interviews were recorded, professionally transcribed, and coded using qualitative software. We followed a grounded theory approach for coding and analyses. RESULTS We identify economic, physical, policy, and social factors that may influence HCV transmission risk and serve as barriers to HCV care. Economic instability and lack of economic opportunities, a lack of physically available HCV prevention and treatment services, structural stigma such as policies that criminalize drug use, and social stigma emerged in interviews as potential risks for transmission and barriers to care. CONCLUSION The rural risk environment framework acknowledges the importance of community and structural factors that influence HCV infection and other disease transmission and care. We find that larger structural factors produce vulnerabilities and reduce access to resources, which negatively impact hepatitis C disease outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzan M Walters
- Department of Epidemiology, New York University School of Global Public Health, New York, NY, United States; Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, New York, NY, United States.
| | - David Frank
- Department of Epidemiology, New York University School of Global Public Health, New York, NY, United States; Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, New York, NY, United States
| | - Marisa Felsher
- College of Population Health, Thomas Jefferson University, United States
| | - Jessica Jaiswal
- Department of Health Science, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Scott Fletcher
- Department of Epidemiology, New York University School of Global Public Health, New York, NY, United States; Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, New York, NY, United States; College of Population Health, Thomas Jefferson University, United States; Department of Health Science, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, New York University School of Global Public Health, New York, NY, United States; Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, United States; Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States; Department of Population Science and Policy, SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, United States; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States; The Community Action Place, Murphysboro, IL, United States
| | - Alex S Bennett
- Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, New York, NY, United States; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, New York University School of Global Public Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Samuel R Friedman
- Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, New York, NY, United States; Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, United States
| | - Lawrence J Ouellet
- Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Danielle C Ompad
- Department of Epidemiology, New York University School of Global Public Health, New York, NY, United States; Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, New York, NY, United States
| | - Wiley Jenkins
- Department of Population Science and Policy, SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, United States
| | - Mai T Pho
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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Crépault JF, Russell C, Watson TM, Strike C, Bonato S, Rehm J. What is a public health approach to substance use? A qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 112:103958. [PMID: 36689841 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.103958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychoactive substance use and the regulations that govern it both have the potential to lead to harm. A 'public health approach' (PHA) is frequently invoked as a means of addressing these harms, but the term is used in inconsistent and contradictory ways. This study systematically reviewed the English-language academic literature to understand how a public health approach to substance use is defined and described. METHODS This review employed thematic synthesis, a methodology designed to rigorously synthesize qualitative evidence. Eligible articles were published in peer-reviewed journals, in the English language, with full text available, and focused primarily on substance use. There were no limits on year of publication. Original research, opinion/commentary, and reviews were included. The searches were conducted in October 2021 in CINAHL, Embase, Medline, PAIS Index, PsycINFO, Scopus, Sociological Abstracts, and Web of Science. RESULTS 272 articles from 25 countries, published between 1950 and 2021, were synthesized. Definitions of a PHA have changed over time and differ by substance. The most commonly cited characteristics of a PHA were: for alcohol, regulation, e.g. of price and availability (54% of articles); for cannabis: regulation (68%); for illicit drugs: that a PHA is distinct from a criminal justice approach (63%); for opioids: substance use disorder treatment (55%); and for tobacco: regulation (62%). CONCLUSION There is no consensus on the definition of a public health approach to substance use, but there is substantial agreement when it comes to PHAs to specific substances. There are also similarities in how they are described for legal substances versus illicit ones. This review found areas of disagreement regarding the extent to which PHAs should focus on individual-level factors. Policymakers, academics, and others developing or implementing PHAs to substance use should be explicit about their aims and objectives - as well as the premises and assumptions underlying them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Crépault
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 1001 Queen Street, Toronto, Ontario, M6J 1H4, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 6th Floor, 155 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada.
| | - Cayley Russell
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 1001 Queen Street, Toronto, Ontario, M6J 1H4, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Tara Marie Watson
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 1001 Queen Street, Toronto, Ontario, M6J 1H4, Canada
| | - Carol Strike
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 6th Floor, 155 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada
| | - Sarah Bonato
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 1001 Queen Street, Toronto, Ontario, M6J 1H4, Canada
| | - Jürgen Rehm
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 1001 Queen Street, Toronto, Ontario, M6J 1H4, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 6th Floor, 155 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 8th Floor, 250 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R8, Canada; Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy & Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Longitudinal Studies, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, D-01187 Dresden, Germany; Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (ZIS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
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Wallace B, van Roode T, Burek P, Hore D, Pauly B. Everywhere and for everyone: proportionate universalism as a framework for equitable access to community drug checking. Harm Reduct J 2022; 19:143. [PMID: 36539747 PMCID: PMC9763810 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-022-00727-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Illicit drug overdoses have reached unprecedented levels, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses are needed that address the increasingly potent and unpredictable drug supply with better reach to a wide population at risk for overdose. Drug checking is a potential response offered mainly within existing harm reduction services, but strategies are needed to increase reach and improve equitable delivery of drug checking services. METHODS The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how to extend the reach of drug checking services to a wide population at risk of overdose. We conducted 26 in-depth interviews with potential service users to identify barriers to service use and strategies to increase equitable delivery of drug checking services. Our analysis was informed by theoretical perspectives on equity, and themes were developed relevant to equitable delivery through attention to quality dimensions of service use: accessibility, appropriateness, effectiveness, safety, and respect. RESULTS Barriers to equitable service delivery included criminalization and stigma, geographic and access issues, and lack of cultural appropriateness that deter service use for a broad population with diverse needs. Strategies to enhance equitable access include 1ocating services widely throughout communities, integrating drug checking within existing health care services, reframing away from risk messaging, engaging peers from a broad range of backgrounds, and using discrete methods of delivery to help create safer spaces and better reach diverse populations at risk for overdose. CONCLUSIONS We propose proportionate universalism in drug checking as a guiding framework for the implementation of community drug checking as an equity-oriented harm reduction intervention and as a population health response. Both a universal equity-oriented approach and multiple tailored approaches are required to facilitate drug checking services that maximize reach and appropriateness to respond to diverse needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Wallace
- grid.143640.40000 0004 1936 9465Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR), University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2 Canada ,grid.143640.40000 0004 1936 9465School of Social Work, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2 Canada
| | - Thea van Roode
- grid.143640.40000 0004 1936 9465Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR), University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2 Canada
| | - Piotr Burek
- grid.143640.40000 0004 1936 9465Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR), University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2 Canada
| | - Dennis Hore
- grid.143640.40000 0004 1936 9465Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, STN CSC, Victoria, BC Canada ,grid.143640.40000 0004 1936 9465Department of Computer Science, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2 Canada
| | - Bernadette Pauly
- grid.143640.40000 0004 1936 9465Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR), University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2 Canada ,grid.143640.40000 0004 1936 9465School of Nursing, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2 Canada
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Bradley H, Austin C, Allen ST, Asher A, Bartholomew TS, Board A, Borquez A, Buchacz K, Carter A, Cooper HLF, Feinberg J, Furukawa N, Genberg B, Gorbach PM, Hagan H, Huriaux E, Hurley H, Luisi N, Martin NK, Rosenberg ES, Strathdee SA, Jarlais DCD. A stakeholder-driven framework for measuring potential change in the health risks of people who inject drugs (PWID) during the COVID-19 pandemic. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 110:103889. [PMID: 36343431 PMCID: PMC9574463 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People who inject drugs (PWID) have likely borne disproportionate health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. PWID experienced both interruptions and changes to drug supply and delivery modes of harm reduction, treatment, and other medical services, leading to potentially increased risks for HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV), and overdose. Given surveillance and research disruptions, proximal, indirect indicators of infectious diseases and overdose should be developed for timely measurement of health effects of the pandemic on PWID. METHODS We used group concept mapping and a systems thinking approach to produce an expert stakeholder-generated, multi-level framework for monitoring changes in PWID health outcomes potentially attributable to COVID-19 in the U.S. This socio-ecological measurement framework elucidates proximal and distal contributors to infectious disease and overdose outcomes, many of which can be measured using existing data sources. RESULTS The framework includes multi-level components including policy considerations, drug supply/distribution systems, the service delivery landscape, network factors, and individual characteristics such as mental and general health status and service utilization. These components are generally mediated by substance use and sexual behavioral factors to cause changes in incidence of HIV, HCV, sexually transmitted infections, wound/skin infections, and overdose. CONCLUSION This measurement framework is intended to increase the quality and timeliness of research on the impacts of COVID-19 in the context of the current pandemic and future crises. Next steps include a ranking process to narrow the drivers of change in health risks to a concise set of indicators that adequately represent framework components, can be written as measurable indicators, and are quantifiable using existing data sources, as well as a publicly available web-based platform for summary data contributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Bradley
- Georgia State University School of Public Health, 140 Decatur Street SE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA.
| | - Chelsea Austin
- Georgia State University School of Public Health, 140 Decatur Street SE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Sean T Allen
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Alice Asher
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA
| | - Tyler S Bartholomew
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1600 NW 10(th) Avenue, #1140, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Amy Board
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA
| | - Annick Borquez
- University of California San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Kate Buchacz
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA
| | - Anastasia Carter
- Georgia State University School of Public Health, 140 Decatur Street SE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Hannah L F Cooper
- Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Judith Feinberg
- West Virginia University Health Sciences, 1 Medical Center Drive, #1000, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Nathan Furukawa
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA
| | - Becky Genberg
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Pamina M Gorbach
- University of California Los Angeles, Fielding School of Public Health
| | - Holly Hagan
- NYU School of Global Public Health, 708 Broadway, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Emalie Huriaux
- Washington State Department of Health, 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA, 98501, USA
| | | | - Nicole Luisi
- Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Natasha K Martin
- University of California San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Eli S Rosenberg
- University at Albany School of Public Health, SUNY, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, NY, 12144, USA; Office of Public Health, New York State Department of Public Health, Corning Tower, State Street, Albany, NY, 12203, USA
| | - Steffanie A Strathdee
- University of California San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Don C Des Jarlais
- NYU School of Global Public Health, 708 Broadway, New York, NY, 10003, USA
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Pustz J, Srinivasan S, Larochelle MR, Walley AY, Stopka TJ. Relationships between places of residence, injury, and death: Spatial and statistical analysis of fatal opioid overdoses across Massachusetts. Spat Spatiotemporal Epidemiol 2022; 43:100541. [PMID: 36460457 DOI: 10.1016/j.sste.2022.100541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the factors associated with where people who use opioids live, where their fatal overdoses occur, and where deaths are recorded can improve our knowledge of local risk environments and inform intervention planning. Through geospatial analyses of death certificate data between 2015 and 2017, we found that a majority of opioid-involved fatal overdoses in Massachusetts occurred at home. Age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.04), living in a census tract with a higher percentage of crowded households (AOR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08), households without vehicles (AOR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00-1.02), and Hispanic ethnicity (AOR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.42-0.74) were independently associated with fatal overdose at home. Using geographically weighted regression, we identified locations where these associations were stronger and could benefit most from home-based and culturally sensitive overdose prevention efforts, including expanded overdose education and naloxone distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Pustz
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, United States
| | - Sumeeta Srinivasan
- Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, Tufts University, 97 Talbot Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, United States
| | - Marc R Larochelle
- Grayken Center for Addiction, Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, One Boston Medical Center Place, Boston, MA 02118, United States
| | - Alexander Y Walley
- Grayken Center for Addiction, Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, One Boston Medical Center Place, Boston, MA 02118, United States
| | - Thomas J Stopka
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, United States; Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, Tufts University, 97 Talbot Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, United States; Department of Community Health, Tufts University, 574 Boston Avenue, Suite 208, Medford, MA 02155, United States; Clinical and Translational Science Institute, 35 Kneeland Street, 7(th) - 11(th) Floors, Boston, MA 02111, United States.
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Falzon D, Aston EV, Carver H, Masterton W, Wallace B, Sumnall H, Measham F, Fletcher E, Gittins R, Priyadarshi S, Parkes T. Challenges for drug checking services in Scotland: a qualitative exploration of police perceptions. Harm Reduct J 2022; 19:105. [PMID: 36138440 PMCID: PMC9502919 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-022-00686-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The impact of policing practices on the engagement of people who use drugs (PWUD) with harm reduction services is well evidenced. Although the police have traditionally taken an enforcement role in responding to drug use, it is increasingly clear that they can play an important part in multiagency delivery of harm reduction interventions. Despite this, there have been no studies exploring police officer perceptions of drug checking services (DCS), which provide analytical testing of client drug samples alongside harm reduction support and advice. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 police officers to explore the policing and legal challenges which could be encountered in the delivery of DCS in Scotland. Results Participants expressed general support for DCS and described this support as part of a wider organisational shift towards public health-oriented policing. Participants also discussed different potential approaches to the policing of areas surrounding DCS including: formal limits on police presence around the service and/or stop and search powers in relation to personal possession; the effective decriminalisation of personal possession within a specified boundary around the service; and informal agreements between local divisions and DCS outlining expected policing practices. Any formal limitation on the capacity of police officers to respond to community concerns was viewed as problematic and as having the potential to erode public confidence in policing. Participants also highlighted the potential for frontline officers to utilise discretion in ways which could undermine public health goals. Legislative change, or national strategic guidance from relevant stakeholders, was seen as a means of providing ‘cover’, enabling local divisions to support the operation of drug checking. Conclusions Despite a small sample of participants, this study summarises key challenges to be addressed in the implementation and operation of DCS in Scotland, and more widely. The paper concludes with suggested opportunities to develop approaches to policing that can facilitate rather than impede implementation and operation of these services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Falzon
- Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
| | - Elizabeth V Aston
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Hannah Carver
- Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Wendy Masterton
- Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Bruce Wallace
- School of Social Work, University of Victoria, STN CSC, PO Box 1700, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Harry Sumnall
- Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Fiona Measham
- Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | | | | | | - Tessa Parkes
- Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
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Masterton W, Falzon D, Burton G, Carver H, Wallace B, Aston EV, Sumnall H, Measham F, Gittins R, Craik V, Schofield J, Little S, Parkes T. A Realist Review of How Community-Based Drug Checking Services Could Be Designed and Implemented to Promote Engagement of People Who Use Drugs. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph191911960. [PMID: 36231262 PMCID: PMC9564958 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191911960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
With rising numbers of drug-related deaths in the UK and globally, exploration of interventions that seek to reduce drug-related harm is essential. Drug checking services (DCS) allow people to submit drug samples for chemical analysis and receive feedback about the sample, as well as harm reduction advice. The use of DCS is often linked to festival and/or nightlife settings and to so-called 'recreational' drug use, but research has also shown the potential of community-based DCS as an intervention serving more varied demographics of people who use drugs, including more marginalised individuals and those experiencing drug dependence. Whilst there is a growing evidence base on the effectiveness of drug checking as a harm reduction intervention, there is still limited evidence of the underlying mechanisms and processes within DCS which may aid implementation and subsequent engagement of people who use drugs. This presents a challenge to understanding why engagement differs across types of DCS, and how best to develop and deliver services across different contexts and for different populations. To explore the contexts and mechanisms which impact engagement in community-based DCS, a realist review was undertaken to synthesise the international evidence for the delivery and implementation of DCS. There were 133 sources included in the review. From these sources the underlying contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes relating to DCS implementation and engagement were developed and refined into seven programme theories. The findings of this review are theoretically novel and hold practical relevance for the design of DCS, with implications for optimisation, tailoring, and implementing services to reach individuals in different settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Masterton
- Salvation Army Centre for Addictions Services and Research, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
- Correspondence:
| | - Danilo Falzon
- Salvation Army Centre for Addictions Services and Research, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Gillian Burton
- Salvation Army Centre for Addictions Services and Research, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Hannah Carver
- Salvation Army Centre for Addictions Services and Research, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Bruce Wallace
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Elizabeth V. Aston
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh EH11 4BN, UK
| | - Harry Sumnall
- Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L2 2QP, UK
| | - Fiona Measham
- Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZR, UK
- The Loop, Unclassified Community Interest Company, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | | | | | - Joe Schofield
- Salvation Army Centre for Addictions Services and Research, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Simon Little
- Kinbank Social Research Consultancy, Tayport DD6 9AP, UK
| | - Tessa Parkes
- Salvation Army Centre for Addictions Services and Research, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
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Nafeh F, Fusigboye S, Sornpaisarn B. Understanding injecting drug use in Afghanistan: A scoping review. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2022; 17:65. [PMID: 36123586 PMCID: PMC9484158 DOI: 10.1186/s13011-022-00491-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Several reports have described a growing prevalence of illicit drug use in Afghanistan, with recognition of a recent shift from traditional modes of consumption involving inhalation and oral ingestion to injecting drug use. Objective Conduct a comprehensive review of existing literature to map the injecting drug use situation in Afghanistan. The review intends to describe risk factors and impacts of injecting drug use, drug use characteristics and risk behaviours among people who inject drugs (PWID), and access to harm reduction and treatment. Methods We searched Embase, Global Health, Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and grey literature to identify English language publications up to March 26th, 2022. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they explicitly targeted PWID or injecting drug use in Afghanistan and provided information relevant to the review questions. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts for inclusion and extracted information based on the review objectives. Results A total of 25 articles were identified representing 15 studies (11 quantitative, 2 qualitative, 2 mixed methods). All but one studies were cross-sectional. In majority of the studies, over 95% of the participants were male and most were conducted over a decade ago, in urban settings, mainly Kabul. Only one study examined risk factors of injecting drug use. Eleven studies described drug use characteristics and 9 reported risk behaviours among PWID. Health and social burden of injecting drug use were reported by 8 and 5 studies, respectively. Nine studies described access to harm reduction and treatment. Afghan PWID had high levels of injecting and sexual risk behaviours compared to global estimates. They reported high prevalence of incarceration and displacement. Access to harm reduction and treatment was very limited. This scoping review revealed important knowledge gaps including a gender gap in research with serious implications for drug policy and substance use care. Conclusions Development of a national public health-oriented drug policy and substance use care programme is warranted along with efforts to develop health research capacity to address the need for epidemiological data. The current humanitarian crisis necessitates continued access to evidence-based harm reduction and treatment in Afghanistan. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13011-022-00491-1.
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Masterton W, Parkes T, Carver H, Park KJ. Exploring how greenspace programmes might be effective in supporting people with problem substance use: a realist interview study. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1661. [PMID: 36050664 PMCID: PMC9436451 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14063-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Greenspace programmes are health projects run outside in nature, typically with the aim of improving mental health. Research suggests that programmes may also be effective in supporting people with problem substance use (PSU), but there is limited understanding of the key components that make them successful for this client group. Previous work has claimed that a realist-informed intervention framework for greenspace programmes for mental health could be transferable to programmes that support people with PSU, and that this could provide insight into the causal processes within programmes. However, this claim is yet to be explored in depth. The aim of this study was to further test, refine, and consolidate the proposed framework to show how greenspace programmes could support people with PSU. METHODS Using a realist approach, 17 participants (8 programme staff; 9 wider stakeholders) were interviewed about contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes (CMOs) relative to greenspace programmes for mental health and PSU. Semi-structured interviews were used since they facilitated exploration of the proposed framework but were flexible enough to allow identification of new CMOs for framework refinement. Interviews were audio-recorded, fully transcribed, and analysed inductively and deductively against the proposed framework. RESULTS Findings supported the proposed framework and indicated that greenspace programmes support people with poor mental health and PSU due to: feelings of escape; space to reflect; physical activity; self-efficacy; feelings of purpose; relationships; and shared experiences. However, data showed that programmes must also consider: explicit intervention focus to ensure adequate support for clients; existing challenges with funding and stakeholder buy-in; and the impact of COVID-19. Findings allowed development of a refined framework that shows how greenspace programmes can support people with PSU. CONCLUSION The findings of this project are theoretically novel and have practical relevance for those designing greenspace programmes by providing recommendations on how to optimise, tailor, and implement future interventions. Findings could be particularly relevant for academic researchers, multidisciplinary health professionals, and for those working in the third sector, developing and delivering greenspace programmes for people to improve their mental health and to support them with PSU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Masterton
- Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK.
| | - Tessa Parkes
- Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK
| | - Hannah Carver
- Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK
| | - Kirsty J Park
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK
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Macmadu A, Frueh L, Collins AB, Newman R, Barnett NP, Rich JD, Clark MA, Marshall BDL. Drug use behaviors, trauma, and emotional affect following the overdose of a social network member: A qualitative investigation. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 107:103792. [PMID: 35816791 PMCID: PMC9462427 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Scant research has examined the influence of overdoses occurring in social networks (i.e., knowing someone who has overdosed) on individual overdose risk. We sought to characterize drug use behaviors of individuals following the overdose of someone in their social network. METHODS We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 people who use drugs and knew someone who overdosed in the prior 90 days. All interviews were conducted in person in Rhode Island from July to October 2021. Data were stratified by drug use behaviors following the overdose of a network member (i.e., risk behaviors, protective behaviors, no change; selected a priori) and analyzed using a thematic analysis variation to identify salient themes. RESULTS We identified variation in the effect of knowing someone who overdosed on subsequent drug use behaviors and emotional affect. Several participants described increasing their drug use or using more types of drugs than usual to manage feelings of bereavement and trauma, and a subset of these participants described increased drug use with suicidal intention and increased suicidal ideations following the overdose event. Other participants described reducing their drug use and engaging in protective behaviors in response to heightened perceived overdose risk, protection motivation (i.e., increased motivation to protect oneself), and concern for others. Additionally, some participants reported no change in drug use behaviors, and these participants described already engaging in harm reduction practices, feeling desensitized due to frequent or repeated exposure to overdose, and ambivalence about living. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest a need for enhanced investment in network-based overdose prevention interventions, as well as more robust integration of bereavement support and mental health services in settings that serve people who use drugs. The findings also suggest a need for future research to identify mediators of the effect of overdose occurring in social networks on individual overdose risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandria Macmadu
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lisa Frueh
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexandra B Collins
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Roxxanne Newman
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Nancy P Barnett
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Josiah D Rich
- The Center for Health + Justice Transformation, The Miriam Hospital, 1125 North Main Street, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Melissa A Clark
- Department of Health Services, Policy & Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Brandon D L Marshall
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, USA.
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Greene C, Urbanik MM, Samuels-Wortley K. "It Stays with You for Life": The Everyday Nature and Impact of Police Violence in Toronto's Inner-City. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10503. [PMID: 36078218 PMCID: PMC9518342 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, police violence has amassed notable international attention from the public, practitioners, and academics alike. This paper explores experiences and perceptions of police violence in Canada, documenting the impacts of direct and vicarious experiences of police violence on inner-city residents. The study employed semi-structured interviews with 45 community members across three Toronto inner-city neighbourhoods. Using a general interview prompt guide, participants were asked a range of questions about their experiences with and perceptions of police, and particularly, of police violence in their community. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, thematically coded, and analyzed. All participants reported direct and/or vicarious experiences of police violence, and most described experiencing long-standing, and continual fear that police contact would result in harm to them. Further, participants described a variety of serious and negative outcomes associated with experiencing and/or witnessing police violence. Police violence in Canada is a public health issue that requires an integrated public health policy approach to address the negative outcomes associated with direct and vicarious police violence exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Greene
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Athabasca University, Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3, Canada
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Touesnard N, Brothers TD, Bonn M, Edelman EJ. Overdose deaths and HIV infections among people who use drugs: shared determinants and integrated responses. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2022; 20:1061-1065. [PMID: 35615917 PMCID: PMC10693947 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2022.2081152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Touesnard
- Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs (CAPUD), Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Thomas D Brothers
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine & Clinician-Investigator Program, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- UCL Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew Bonn
- Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs (CAPUD), Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - E Jennifer Edelman
- Program in Addiction Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Gehring ND, Speed KA, Wild TC, Pauly B, Salvalaggio G, Hyshka E. Policy actor views on structural vulnerability in harm reduction and policymaking for illegal drugs: A qualitative study. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 108:103805. [PMID: 35907373 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health risks associated with drug use are concentrated amongst structurally vulnerable people who use illegal drugs (PWUD). We described how Canadian policy actors view structural vulnerability in relation to harm reduction and policymaking for illegal drugs, and what solutions they suggest to reduce structural vulnerability for PWUD. METHODS The Canadian Harm Reduction Policy Project is a mixed-method, multiple case study. The qualitative component included 73 semi-structured interviews conducted with harm reduction policy actors across Canada's 13 provinces and territories between November 2016 and December 2017. Interviews explored perspectives on harm reduction and illegal drug policies and the conditions that facilitate or constrain policy change. Our sub-analysis utilized a two-step inductive analytic process. First, we identified transcript segments that discussed structural vulnerability or analogous terms. Second, we conducted latent content analysis on the identified excerpts to generate main findings. RESULTS The central role of structural vulnerability (including poverty, unstable/lack of housing, racialization) in driving harm for PWUD was acknowledged by participants in all provinces and territories. Criminalization, in particular, was seen as a major contributor to structural vulnerability by justifying formal and informal sanctions against drug use and, by extension, PWUD. Many participants expressed that their personal understanding of harm reduction included addressing the structural conditions facing PWUD, yet identified that formal government harm reduction policies focused solely on drug use rather than structural factors. Participants identified several potential policy solutions to intervene on structural vulnerability including decriminalization, safer supply, and enacting policies encompassing all health and social sectors. CONCLUSIONS Structural vulnerability is salient within Canadian policy actors' discourses; however, formal government policies are seen as falling short of addressing the structural conditions of PWUD. Decriminalization and safer supply have the potential to mitigate immediate structural vulnerability of PWUD while policies evolve to advance social, economic, and cultural equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole D Gehring
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Inner City Health and Wellness Program, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kelsey A Speed
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Inner City Health and Wellness Program, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - T Cameron Wild
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bernie Pauly
- School of Nursing, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ginetta Salvalaggio
- Inner City Health and Wellness Program, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Elaine Hyshka
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Inner City Health and Wellness Program, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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