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Kennedy MC, Hayashi K, Milloy MJ, Compton M, Kerr T. Health impacts of a scale-up of supervised injection services in a Canadian setting: an interrupted time series analysis. Addiction 2022; 117:986-997. [PMID: 34854162 PMCID: PMC8904318 DOI: 10.1111/add.15717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS In response to a dramatic rise in overdose deaths due to injection drug use, there was a rapid scale-up of low-threshold supervised injection services (SIS), termed 'overdose prevention sites' (OPS), in Vancouver, Canada in December 2016. We measured the potential impact of this intervention on SIS use and related health outcomes among people who inject drugs (PWID). DESIGN Segmented regression analyses of interrupted time series data from two community-recruited prospective cohorts of PWID from January 2015 to November 2018 were used to measure the impact of the OPS scale-up on changes in SIS use, public injection, syringe sharing and addiction treatment participation, controlling for pre-existing secular trends. SETTING Vancouver, Canada. PARTICIPANTS Of 745 PWID, 292 (39.7%) were women, 441 (59.6%) self-reported white ancestry and the median age was 47 years (interquartile range = 38, 53) at baseline. MEASUREMENTS Immediate (i.e. step level) and gradual (i.e. slope) changes in the monthly proportion of participants who self-reported past 6-month SIS use, public injection, syringe sharing and participation in any form of addiction treatment. FINDINGS Post OPS expansion, the monthly prevalence of SIS use immediately increased by an estimated 6.4% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.7, 11.2] and subsequently further increased by an estimated 0.7% (95% CI = 0.3, 1.1) per month. The monthly prevalence of addiction treatment participation immediately increased by an estimated 4.5% (95% CI = 0.5, 8.5) following the OPS expansion, while public injection and syringe sharing were estimated to immediately decrease by 5.5% (95% CI = 0.9, 10.0) and 2.5% (95% CI = 0.5, 4.6), respectively. Findings were inconclusive as to whether or not an association was present between the intervention and subsequent gradual changes in public injection, syringe sharing and addiction treatment participation. CONCLUSIONS Scaling-up overdose prevention sites in Vancouver, Canada in December 2016 was associated with immediate and continued gradual increases in supervised injection service engagement and immediate increases in related health benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Clare Kennedy
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada,Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kanna Hayashi
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada,Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - M-J Milloy
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada,Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Thomas Kerr
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada,Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Scheim AI, Bouck Z, Tookey P, Hopkins S, Sniderman R, McLean E, Garber G, Baral S, Rourke SB, Werb D. Supervised consumption service use and recent non-fatal overdose among people who inject drugs in Toronto, Canada. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2020; 87:102993. [PMID: 33160158 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aiming to reducing overdose mortality, over 40 supervised drug consumption services (SCS) presently operate in Canada. Arguments against SCS include the potential for increased non-fatal overdoses mediated by risk compensation. This study estimates associations between SCS use and recent non-fatal overdose among people who inject drugs (PWID). METHODS We analyzed cross-sectional baseline data collected between November 2018 and March 2020 from a cohort of adult PWID in Toronto, Canada. Recent non-fatal overdose was self-reported over the previous six months. The primary exposure was frequency of SCS use, self-reported as the proportion of injections performed at an SCS (all or most [75-100%], some [26-74%], few [≤25%], or none) in the previous six months. The prevalence of recent overdose was compared between all unique pairs of groups based on their frequency of SCS use and expressed as covariate-adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) estimated using modified Poisson regression. RESULTS Among 701 PWID (median [IQR] age, 40 [33 to 49]; 64.3% cisgender men; 56.8% injecting daily), most reported SCS use (all/most, 26.2%; some, 30.9%; few, 29.4%) versus no use (13.5%), with 38.6% reporting a recent overdose. From adjusted regression analyses, more frequent SCS use was not statistically significantly associated with overdose when compared to either no SCS use or less frequent use. Associations between SCS use frequency and overdose were notably smaller among SCS clients compared to associations between SCS clients and non-users (e.g., all/most versus none: PR, 1.43 [95% CI, 0.93 to 2.21]; all/most versus some: PR, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.75 to 1.17]; all/most versus few: PR, 1.15 [95% CI, 0.89 to 1.48]). CONCLUSION Findings did not indicate statistically significant associations between SCS use frequency and recent non-fatal overdose, particularly among SCS clients who may be more comparable. Nevertheless, overdose was common, underscoring the need to prevent non-fatal overdose and associated morbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayden I Scheim
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Zachary Bouck
- Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Paula Tookey
- South Riverdale Community Health Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Ruby Sniderman
- Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elizabeth McLean
- Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Stefan Baral
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Sean B Rourke
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dan Werb
- Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States
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Kennedy MC, Milloy MJ, Hayashi K, Holliday E, Wood E, Kerr T. Assisted injection within supervised injection services: Uptake and client characteristics among people who require help injecting in a Canadian setting. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2020; 86:102967. [PMID: 33039705 PMCID: PMC8026755 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People who require help injecting illicit drugs experience elevated rates of a range of health-related harms, including overdose and acquisition of blood-borne pathogens. In response, some supervised injection services (SIS) in Canada have begun to permit clients to be physically injected by fellow clients or staff members. However, little is known about uptake and characteristics of clients who engage in this practice. We therefore sought to examine factors associated with receiving injection assistance at SIS among people who require help injecting drugs in Vancouver, Canada. METHODS Data were drawn from two community-recruited prospective cohort studies of people who inject drugs (PWID). We used multivariable generalized estimating equation (GEE) analyses with time-updated covariates to identify factors associated with self-reported receipt of injection assistance at SIS. RESULTS Between June 2017 and December 2018, 319 individuals who reported having recently required help injecting were included in the study. Of these, 160 (51.0%) were women and the median age was 42 years at baseline. In total, 54 (16.9%) participants reported receiving injection assistance at a SIS at least once over an average of 3.3 months of follow-up. In multivariable GEE analyses, recent homelessness (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 2.04; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13 - 3.66), fentanyl injection (AOR = 3.45; 95% CI: 1.42 - 8.41), non-fatal overdose (AOR = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.02 - 3.38) and enrolment in methadone maintenance therapy (AOR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.03 - 3.47) were associated with increased odds of receiving injection assistance at SIS. CONCLUSION Although uptake of assisted injection at SIS was relatively low among this sample of people who require help injecting, this practice was associated with several indicators of structural vulnerability and drug-related risk. These findings suggest that accommodating assisted injection within SIS may be providing opportunities to engage and reduce harms among higher-risk subpopulations of PWID in this setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Clare Kennedy
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V6Z 2A9; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V6Z 1Y6.
| | - M-J Milloy
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V6Z 2A9; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V6Z 1Y6
| | - Kanna Hayashi
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V6Z 2A9; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall, Room 11300, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, CANADA, V5A 1S6
| | - Elizabeth Holliday
- Vancouver Coastal Health, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC, CANADA V5Z 1M9
| | - Evan Wood
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V6Z 2A9; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V6Z 1Y6
| | - Thomas Kerr
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V6Z 2A9; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V6Z 1Y6
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Klein KS, Glick SN, Mauro PM. Anticipated use of a supervised drug consumption site among syringe services program clients in King County, Washington: Assessing the role of opioid overdose and injection behavior. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 213:108121. [PMID: 32585421 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND US jurisdictions are considering implementing supervised drug consumption sites (SCSs) to combat the overdose epidemic. No sanctioned SCS exists in the US, but King County, Washington has proposed Community Health Engagement Locations (CHELs), which would include supervised drug consumption. We assessed characteristics of people engaged in syringe services programs (SSPs) who anticipated SCS use. METHODS We estimated prevalence of anticipated SCS use in a 2017 cross-sectional sample of King County SSP participants (N = 377). We used Poisson regression with robust standard errors to estimate likelihood of anticipated SCS use by overdose history (experienced, witnessed only, neither), public injection frequency (always, some/most times, never), drug use behaviors, and sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS The sample was primarily male (66.8 %), white (69.5 %), and averaged 37 years old. Almost two-thirds of participants witnessed or experienced an overdose in the past year (43.2 % witnessed only; 19.6 % experienced overdose). Four in five SSP participants (83.0 %) anticipated any SCS use. Anticipated SCS use was higher among participants who experienced an overdose (risk ratio [RR] = 1.14, 95 % CI = 1.04, 1.24) than those with no overdose experience. In multivariable analyses, anticipated SCS use was higher among people reporting injecting publicly (e.g., always vs. never: aRR = 1.26, 95 % CI = 1.11, 1.43), and lower among people primarily using methamphetamine (aRR = 0.80, 95 % CI = 0.67, 0.96) compared to people primarily using opioids. CONCLUSIONS In King County, SCS services would be used by people at high risk of overdose, including SSP participants reporting injecting in public. SCSs could be an important step to promote health and safety across communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn S Klein
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, 722 West 168th St., New York, NY, 10032, United States.
| | - Sara N Glick
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 325 9th Ave., Box 359777, Seattle, WA, 98104, United States; Public Health--Seattle & King County, HIV/STD Program, 401 5th Ave., Seattle, WA, 98104, United States
| | - Pia M Mauro
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, 722 West 168th St., New York, NY, 10032, United States
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Belackova V, Salmon AM, Jauncey M, Day CA. Safer injecting facilities-is the research there? A comment on Caulkins et al. (2019). Addiction 2020; 115:784-785. [PMID: 31692143 DOI: 10.1111/add.14885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vendula Belackova
- Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Social Policy Research Centre, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Allison M Salmon
- Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Marianne Jauncey
- Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Carolyn A Day
- Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Addiction Medicine, The Sydney Central Clinical School (C39), Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Kennedy MC, Hayashi K, Milloy MJ, Boyd J, Wood E, Kerr T. Supervised injection facility use and exposure to violence among a cohort of people who inject drugs: A gender-based analysis. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2020; 78:102692. [PMID: 32200269 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Supervised injection facilities (SIFs) have been established in many settings, in part to reduce risks associated with injecting in public, including exposure to violence. However, the relationship between SIF use and experiencing violence has not yet been thoroughly evaluated. We sought to longitudinally examine the gender-specific relationship between SIF use and exposure to violence among people who inject drugs (PWID) in a Canadian setting. METHODS Data were drawn from two prospective cohort studies of PWID in Vancouver, Canada, between December 2005 and December 2016. Semi-annually, participants completed questionnaires that elicited data concerning sociodemographic characteristics, behavioural patterns, violent encounters and health service utilization. We used multivariable generalized estimating equations (GEE) to estimate the independent association between exclusively injecting drugs at a SIF and experiencing physical or sexual violence among men and women PWID, respectively. RESULTS Of 1930 PWID followed for a median of four years, 679 (35.2%) were women and the median age was 41 years at baseline. In total, 353 (52.0%) women and 694 (55.5%) men reported experiencing at least one incident of violence during follow-up. In multivariable analyses, exclusive SIF use was associated with decreased odds of experiencing violence among men after adjusting for potential confounders (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.46-0.89). Exclusive SIF use was not significantly associated with experiencing violence among women in adjusted analyses (AOR = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.57-1.66). CONCLUSION In light of the recent expansion of SIFs in Canada, our finding of a protective association between exclusive SIF use and exposure to violence among men is encouraging. The fact that we did not observe a significant association between SIF use and experiencing violence among women highlights the need for social-structural interventions that are more responsive to the specific needs of women PWID in relation to violence prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Clare Kennedy
- 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, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada.
| | - Kanna Hayashi
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall, Room 11300, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - M-J Milloy
- 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, 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, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
| | - Evan Wood
- 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, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, 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, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
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Supervised injection facility use and all-cause mortality among people who inject drugs in Vancouver, Canada: A cohort study. PLoS Med 2019; 16:e1002964. [PMID: 31770391 PMCID: PMC6879115 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People who inject drugs (PWID) experience elevated rates of premature mortality. Although previous studies have demonstrated the role of supervised injection facilities (SIFs) in reducing various harms associated with injection drug use, including accidental overdose death, the possible impact of SIF use on all-cause mortality is unknown. Therefore, we examined the relationship between frequent SIF use and all-cause mortality among PWID in Vancouver, Canada. METHODS AND FINDINGS Data were derived from 2 prospective cohort studies of PWID in Vancouver, Canada, between December 2006 and June 2017. Every 6 months, participants completed questionnaires that elicited information regarding sociodemographic characteristics, substance use patterns, social-structural exposures, and use of health services including SIFs. These data were confidentially linked to the provincial vital statistics database to ascertain mortality rates and causes of death. We used multivariable extended Cox regression analyses to estimate the independent association between frequent (i.e., at least weekly) SIF use and all-cause mortality. Of 811 participants, 278 (34.3%) were women, and the median age was 39 years (IQR 33-46) at baseline. In total, 432 (53.3%) participants reported frequent SIF use at baseline, and 379 (46.7%) did not. At baseline, frequent SIF users were on average younger than nonfrequent users, and a higher proportion of frequent SIF users than nonfrequent users were unstably housed, resided in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood, injected in public, had a recent non-fatal overdose, used prescription opioids at least daily, injected heroin at least daily, injected cocaine at least daily, and injected crystal methamphetamine at least daily. A lower proportion of frequent SIF users than nonfrequent users were HIV positive and enrolled in addiction treatment at baseline. The median duration of follow-up among study participants was 72 months (IQR 24-123). In total, 112 participants (13.8%) died during the study period, yielding a crude mortality rate of 22.7 (95% CI 18.7-27.4) deaths per 1,000 person-years. The median years of potential life lost per death was 34 (IQR 27-42) years. In a time-updated multivariable model, frequent SIF use was inversely associated with risk of all-cause mortality after adjusting for potential confounders, including age, sex, HIV seropositivity, unstable housing, at least daily cocaine injection, public injection, incarceration, enrolment in addiction treatment, and calendar year of interview (adjusted hazard ratio 0.46, 95% CI 0.26-0.80, p = 0.006). The main study limitations are the limited generalizability of findings due to non-random sampling, the potential for reporting biases due to reliance on some self-reported information, and the possibility that residual confounding influenced findings. CONCLUSIONS We observed a high burden of premature mortality among a community-recruited cohort of PWID. Frequent SIF use was associated with a lower risk of death, independent of relevant confounders. These findings support efforts to enhance access to SIFs as a strategy to reduce mortality among PWID. Further analyses of individual-level data are needed to determine estimates of, and potential causal pathways underlying, associations between SIF use and specific causes of death.
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Kennedy MC, Klassen DC, Dong H, Milloy MJS, Hayashi K, Kerr TH. Supervised Injection Facility Utilization Patterns: A Prospective Cohort Study in Vancouver, Canada. Am J Prev Med 2019; 57:330-337. [PMID: 31377091 PMCID: PMC7056297 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Although the health and community benefits of supervised injection facilities are well documented, little is known about long-term patterns of utilization of this form of health service. The present study seeks to longitudinally characterize discontinuation of use of a supervised injection facility in Vancouver, Canada. METHODS Data were drawn from 2 community-recruited prospective cohorts of people who inject drugs between December 2005 and December 2016. In 2018, extended Cox regression for recurrent events was used to examine factors associated with time to cessation of supervised injection facility use during periods of active injection. RESULTS Of 1,336 people who inject drugs that were followed for a median of 50 months, 847 (63.4%) participants reported 1,663 6-month periods of supervised injection facility use cessation while actively injecting drugs (incidence density of 26.6 events per 100 person-years). An additional 2,282 (57.8%) of the total 3,945 6-month periods of supervised injection facility use cessation occurred during periods of injection cessation. In multivariable analyses, enrollment in methadone maintenance therapy (adjusted hazard ratio=1.41) and HIV seropositivity (adjusted hazard ratio=1.23) were positively associated with supervised injection facility use cessation during periods of active injection, whereas homelessness (adjusted hazard ratio=0.59), at least daily heroin injection (adjusted hazard ratio=0.70), binge injection (adjusted hazard ratio=0.68), public injection (adjusted hazard ratio=0.67), nonfatal overdose (adjusted hazard ratio=0.73), difficulty accessing addiction treatment (adjusted hazard ratio=0.69), and incarceration (adjusted hazard ratio=0.70) were inversely associated with this outcome (all p<0.05). The most commonly reported reasons for supervised injection facility use cessation were injection drug use cessation (42.3%) and a preference for injecting at home (30.7%). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that this supervised injection facility successfully retains people who inject drugs at elevated risk of drug-related harms and indicate that many supervised injection facility clients neither use this service nor inject drugs perpetually.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Clare Kennedy
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - David C Klassen
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Huiru Dong
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - M-J S Milloy
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kanna Hayashi
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Thomas H Kerr
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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9
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"Beyond Safer Injecting"-Health and Social Needs and Acceptance of Support among Clients of a Supervised Injecting Facility. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16112032. [PMID: 31181648 PMCID: PMC6603933 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16112032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Health and social issues in aging populations of people who inject drugs (PWID) tend to aggregate, despite risky injecting practices decreasing with age. Identifying needs and avenues of support is becoming increasingly important. We described the health and social situation among clients of a long-running supervised injecting facility (SIF) in Sydney, Australia. An interviewer-administered survey (n = 182) assessed current housing status, employment, physical and mental health, incarceration history, drug use, engagement in drug treatment, health service utilization, and willingness to accept support. Results were compared to the information provided at initial visit. Up to half of the participants transitioned between lower- and higher-risk health and social indicators over time. Willingness to accept support was greatest amongst those with higher self-perceived need. Support for mental health was a low priority, despite the high self-reporting of mental health issues. SIF clients are open to support for health and social issues, despite ongoing active drug use. Lower-threshold services such as SIFs are well-positioned to recognize and respond to deteriorating health and social issues for PWID. Facilitating care and treatment remains a challenge when the services to which people are being referred are higher-threshold with a more rigid approach.
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10
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Belackova V, Salmon AM, Day CA, Ritter A, Shanahan M, Hedrich D, Kerr T, Jauncey M. Drug consumption rooms: A systematic review of evaluation methodologies. Drug Alcohol Rev 2019; 38:406-422. [PMID: 30938025 DOI: 10.1111/dar.12919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
ISSUES Drug consumptions rooms (DCR) and supervised injecting facilities (SIF) are expanding internationally. Previous reviews have not systematically addressed evaluation methodologies. APPROACH Results from systematic searches of scientific databases in English until June 2017 were coded for paper type, country and year of publication. For evaluation papers, study outcome, methodology/study design and main indicators of DCR/SIF 'exposure' were recorded. KEY FINDINGS Two hundred and nineteen eligible peer-reviewed papers were published since 1999: the majority from Canada (n = 117 papers), Europe (n = 36) and Australia (n = 32). Fifty-six papers reported evaluation outcomes. Ecological study designs (n = 10) were used to assess the impact on overdose, public nuisance and crime; modelling techniques (n = 6) estimated impact on blood-borne diseases, overdose deaths and costs. Papers using individual-level data included four prospective cohorts (n = 28), cross-sectional surveys (n = 7) and service records (n = 5). Individual-level data were used to assess safer injecting practice, uptake into health and social services and all the other above outcomes except for impact on crime and costs. Four different indicators of DCR/SIF attendance were used to measure service 'exposure'. IMPLICATIONS Research around DCRs/SIFs has used ecological, modelling, cross-sectional and cohort study designs. Further research could involve systematic inclusion of a control group of people who are eligible but do not access SIFs, validation of self-reported proportion of injections at SIFs or a stepped-wedge or a cluster trial comparing localities. CONCLUSIONS Methodologies appropriate for DCR/SIF evaluation have been established and can be readily replicated from the existing literature. Research on operational aspects, implementation and transferability is also warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Allison M Salmon
- Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney, Australia
| | - Carolyn A Day
- Central Clinical School, Addiction Medicine, University of Sydney, Royal Prince Albert Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alison Ritter
- Drug Policy Modelling Program, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Marian Shanahan
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Dagmar Hedrich
- European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Thomas Kerr
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Marianne Jauncey
- Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney, Australia.,National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Abstract
The US is facing dual public health crises related to opioid overdose deaths and HIV. Injection drug use is fueling both of these epidemics. The War on Drugs has failed to stem injection drug use and has contributed to mass incarceration, poverty, and racial disparities. Harm reduction is an alternative approach that seeks to decrease direct and indirect harms associated with drug use without necessarily decreasing drug consumption. Although overwhelming evidence demonstrates that harm reduction is effective in mitigating harms associated with drug use and is cost-effective in providing these benefits, harm reduction remains controversial and the ethical implications of harm reduction modalities have not been well explored. This paper analyzes harm reduction for injection drug use using the core principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice from both clinical ethics and public health ethics perspectives. This framework is applied to harm reduction modalities currently in use in the US, including opioid maintenance therapy, needle and syringe exchange programs, and opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution. Harm reduction interventions employed outside of the US, including safer injection facilities, heroin-assisted treatment, and decriminalization/legalization are then discussed. This analysis concludes that harm reduction is ethically sound and should be an integral aspect of our nation's healthcare system for combating the opioid crisis. From a clinical ethics perspective, harm reduction promotes the autonomy of, prevents harms to, advances the well-being of, and upholds justice for persons who use drugs. From a public health ethics perspective, harm reduction advances health equity, addresses racial disparities, and serves vulnerable, disadvantaged populations in a cost-effective manner.
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Harm reduction in Italy: the experience of an unsanctioned supervised injection facility run by drug users. DRUGS AND ALCOHOL TODAY 2018. [DOI: 10.1108/dat-03-2018-0011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
Efforts to establish harm reduction interventions in Italy have persisted since the mid-1990s. Despite this, no sanctioned SIF has ever been implemented. The purpose of this paper is to provide information about a 10 year unsanctioned drug user-run SIF experience in Italy called Stanzetta.
Design/methodology/approach
The aim of the paper is to assess how Stanzetta met its objectives. Analysis was conducted compiling narrative accounts from the staff working in the NSP, which is adjacent to the Stanzetta, and conducting a simple frequency analysis of the available statistical data.
Findings
The Stanzetta unsanctioned SIF has been running for ten years and continues to be vulnerable due to its legal status. Being open 24 h/days has maximised its accessibility, but at the same time, it has encouraged a misuse of the Stanzetta. Although not trained, drug users became self-empowered to run the Stanzetta and to keep it clean, but the hygiene-health aspect is seen as one of the greatest challenges by the NSP professional staff. Over 10 years, not a single overdose death has been recorded. Drug use in the park has shifted from more visible places to the Stanzetta. As a result, the abandoned syringes have diminished in number and those disposed of correctly have increased. Moreover, no complaints from citizens or law enforcement were ever made. The neighbourhood acceptance seems to be the main goal of the peer-run unsanctioned SIF.
Research limitations/implications
The paper is based on a narrative account from the point of view of the professional staff involved, and results are specific to the context in which the study was conducted. Because of the chosen approach, the research results lack scientific generalisability. A relevant limitation is that no peer was involved in this study. Despite this, the research contributes to the information based on peer-run SIFs and makes a case for the de-medicalisation of SIFs in Europe.
Practical implications
This paper gives visibility to a long-lasting drug user-run SIF experience that was not made public mostly for an unclear legislative background about SIF in Italy.
Social implications
Efforts to establish harm reduction interventions in Italy have persisted since the mid-1990s and were undertaken primarily in response to epidemics of HIV infection and overdose (DPA, 2017). Despite this, no sanctioned SIF has ever been implemented. Primarily, this study wants to underline the urgency for an SIF pilot in Italy, and secondly the need to consider de-medicalising these services through direct support for peer-based models.
Originality/value
The Stanzetta unsanctioned SIF in Italy that has been running for ten years. Despite this, the venue continues to be vulnerable due to its legal status. For this reason, these results were never made public before. The experience showed a good working synergy between NSP professionals and the SIF peers. This model can be considered as a “light” de-medicalisation form to be explored and eventually to be implemented as a pilot SIF in Italy.
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Public Health and Public Order Outcomes Associated with Supervised Drug Consumption Facilities: a Systematic Review. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 2017; 14:161-183. [DOI: 10.1007/s11904-017-0363-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Potier C, Laprévote V, Dubois-Arber F, Cottencin O, Rolland B. Supervised injection services: what has been demonstrated? A systematic literature review. Drug Alcohol Depend 2014; 145:48-68. [PMID: 25456324 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 313] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2014] [Revised: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Supervised injection services (SISs) have been developed to promote safer drug injection practices, enhance health-related behaviors among people who inject drugs (PWID), and connect PWID with external health and social services. Nevertheless, SISs have also been accused of fostering drug use and drug trafficking. AIMS To systematically collect and synthesize the currently available evidence regarding SIS-induced benefits and harm. METHODS A systematic review was performed via the PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect databases using the keyword algorithm [("supervised" or "safer") and ("injection" or "injecting" or "shooting" or "consumption") and ("facility" or "facilities" or "room" or "gallery" or "centre" or "site")]. RESULTS Seventy-five relevant articles were found. All studies converged to find that SISs were efficacious in attracting the most marginalized PWID, promoting safer injection conditions, enhancing access to primary health care, and reducing the overdose frequency. SISs were not found to increase drug injecting, drug trafficking or crime in the surrounding environments. SISs were found to be associated with reduced levels of public drug injections and dropped syringes. Of the articles, 85% originated from Vancouver or Sydney. CONCLUSION SISs have largely fulfilled their initial objectives without enhancing drug use or drug trafficking. Almost all of the studies found in this review were performed in Canada or Australia, whereas the majority of SISs are located in Europe. The implementation of new SISs in places with high rates of injection drug use and associated harms appears to be supported by evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Potier
- Department of Addiction Medicine, CHRU de Lille, Univ Lille Nord de France, F-59037 Lille, France; University of Lille 2, Faculty of Medicine, F-59045 Lille, France.
| | - Vincent Laprévote
- CHU Nancy, Maison des Addictions, Nancy F-54000, France; CHU Nancy, Centre d'Investigation Clinique CIC-INSERM 9501, Nancy F-54000, France
| | - Françoise Dubois-Arber
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Chemin de la Corniche 10, 1010 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Cottencin
- Department of Addiction Medicine, CHRU de Lille, Univ Lille Nord de France, F-59037 Lille, France; University of Lille 2, Faculty of Medicine, F-59045 Lille, France
| | - Benjamin Rolland
- Department of Addiction Medicine, CHRU de Lille, Univ Lille Nord de France, F-59037 Lille, France; University of Lille 2, Faculty of Medicine, F-59045 Lille, France
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Kinnard EN, Howe CJ, Kerr T, Skjødt Hass V, Marshall BDL. Self-reported changes in drug use behaviors and syringe disposal methods following the opening of a supervised injecting facility in Copenhagen, Denmark. Harm Reduct J 2014; 11:29. [PMID: 25352296 PMCID: PMC4226898 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7517-11-29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Denmark, the first standalone supervised injecting facility (SIF) opened in Copenhagen's Vesterbro neighborhood on October 1, 2012. The purpose of this study was to assess whether use of services provided by the recently opened SIF was associated with changes in injecting behavior and syringe disposal practices among people who inject drugs (PWID). We hypothesized that risk behaviors (e.g., syringe sharing), and unsafe syringe disposal (e.g., dropping used equipment on the ground) had decreased among PWID utilizing the SIF. METHODS Between February and August of 2013, we conducted interviews using a survey (in English and Danish) with forty-one people who reported injecting drugs at the SIF. We used descriptive statistics and McNemar's test to examine sociodemographic characteristics of the sample, current drugs used, sites of syringe disposal before and after opening of the SIF, and perceived behavior change since using the SIF. RESULTS Of the interviewed participants, 90.2% were male and the majority were younger than 40 years old (60.9%). Three-quarters (75.6%) of participants reported reductions in injection risk behaviors since the opening of the SIF, such as injecting in a less rushed manner (63.4%), fewer outdoor injections (56.1%), no longer syringe sharing (53.7%), and cleaning injecting site(s) more often (43.9%). Approximately two-thirds (65.9%) of participants did not feel that their frequency of injecting had changed; five participants (12.2%) reported a decrease in injecting frequency, and only two participants (4.9%) reported an increase in injecting frequency. Twenty-four (58.5%) individuals reported changing their syringe disposal practices since the opening of the SIF; of those, twenty-three (95.8%) reported changing from not always disposing safely to always disposing safely (McNemar's test p-value < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that use of the Copenhagen SIF is associated with adoption of safer behaviors that reduce harm and promote health among PWID, as well as practices that benefit the Vesterbro neighborhood (i.e., safer syringe disposal). As a public health intervention, Copenhagen's SIF has successfully reached PWID engaging in risk behavior. To fully characterize the impacts of this and other Danish SIFs, further research should replicate this study with a larger sample size and prospective follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth N Kinnard
- />Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Box G-S-121-4 Providence, RI 02912 USA
| | - Chanelle J Howe
- />Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Box G-S-121-2, Providence, RI 02912 USA
| | - Thomas Kerr
- />Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 317 - 2194 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada
- />Urban Health Research Initiative, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, 608 – 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6 Canada
| | - Vibeke Skjødt Hass
- />The Saxo Institute, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen, Karen Blixens Vej 4, DK-2300 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Brandon DL Marshall
- />Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Box G-S-121-2, Providence, RI 02912 USA
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Potential role of safer injection facilities in reducing HIV and hepatitis C infections and overdose mortality in the United States. Drug Alcohol Depend 2011; 118:100-10. [PMID: 21515001 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2011] [Revised: 03/08/2011] [Accepted: 03/09/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Safer injection facilities (SIFs) reduce risks associated with injecting drugs, particularly public injection and overdose mortality. They exist in many countries, but do not exist in the United States. We assessed several ethical, operational, and public health considerations for establishing SIFs in the United States. METHOD We used the six-factor Kass framework (goals, effectiveness, concerns, minimization of concerns, fair implementation, and balancing of benefits and concerns), summarized needs of persons who inject drugs in the United States, and reviewed global evidence for SIFs. RESULTS SIFs offer a hygienic environment to inject drugs, provide sterile injection equipment at time of injection, and allow for safe disposal of used equipment. Injection of pre-obtained drugs, purchased by persons who inject drugs, happens in a facility where trained personnel provide on-site counseling and referral to addiction treatment and health care and intervene in overdose emergency situations. SIFs provide positive health benefits (reducing transmission of HIV and viral hepatitis, bacterial infections, and overdose mortality) without evidence for negative health or social consequences. SIFs serve most-at-risk persons, including those who inject in public or inject frequently, and those who do not use other public health programs. It is critical to address legal, ethical, and local concerns, develop and implement relevant policies and procedures, and assess individual- and community-level needs and benefits of SIFs given local epidemiologic data. CONCLUSIONS SIFs have the potential to reduce viral and bacterial infections and overdose mortality among those who engage in high-risk injection behaviors by offering unique public health services that are complementary to other interventions.
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Scherbaum N, Specka M, Bombeck J, Marrziniak B. Drug consumption facility as part of a primary health care centre for problem drug users—Which clients are attracted? THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2009; 20:447-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2009.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2008] [Revised: 11/05/2008] [Accepted: 01/13/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Breen C, Roxburgh A, Degenhardt L. Gender differences among regular injecting drug users in Sydney, Australia, 1996-2003. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009; 24:353-8. [PMID: 16234131 DOI: 10.1080/09595230500263871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has found that female injecting drug users (IDU) are younger and more likely to be involved in risky behaviours such as needle sharing and sex work than male IDU. Aboriginal female drug users, in particular, are over-represented in IDU and prison populations. These factors place female IDU at increased risk of health problems and complicate issues such as homelessness, unemployment and poverty. Although a substantial body of research exists, little trend analysis has been done in Australia and much of the previous literature has focused on treatment populations. Cross-sectional data from 1996 to 2003 from regular IDU in Sydney interviewed as part of Australia's drug monitoring system, the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) were examined for trends over time. The demographic characteristics, drug use patterns and self-reported risk behaviours of the most recent sample (2003) were analysed for gender differences. Female IDU were younger in all sample years. Female IDU were more likely to identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) and engage in sex work. There has been a steady increase in these proportions over time. Female IDU were less likely to have a prison history, although there has been an increase among both male and female IDU over time. There were no gender differences in drug use patterns or frequency of drug use. Larger proportions of females report lending needles. Reports of lending and borrowing needles have decreased over time among both male and female IDU. Female IDU may place themselves at greater risk than male IDU by being more likely to share injecting equipment and engage in sex work. Treatment and other measures to reduce harm may need to be targeted specifically at women and, in particular, indigenous women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Breen
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Australia.
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KIMBER JO, MATTICK RICHARDP, KALDOR JOHN, VAN BEEK INGRID, GILMOUR STUART, RANCE JAKEA. Process and predictors of drug treatment referral and referral uptake at the Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009; 27:602-12. [DOI: 10.1080/09595230801995668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Kimber J, Hickman M, Degenhardt L, Coulson T, van Beek I. Estimating the size and dynamics of an injecting drug user population and implications for health service coverage: comparison of indirect prevalence estimation methods. Addiction 2008; 103:1604-13. [PMID: 18638037 DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02276.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
AIMS (i) To compare indirect estimation methods to obtain mean injecting drug use (IDU) prevalence for a confined geographic location; and (ii) to use these estimates to calculate IDU and injection coverage of a medically supervised injecting facility. DESIGN Multiple indirect prevalence estimation methods. SETTING Kings Cross, Sydney, Australia. PARTICIPANTS IDUs residing in Kings Cross area postcodes recorded in surveillance data of the Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) between November 2001 and October 2002. MEASUREMENTS Two closed and one open capture-recapture (CRC) models (Poisson regression, truncated Poisson and Jolly-Seber, respectively) were fitted to the observed data. Multiplier estimates were derived from opioid overdose mortality data and a cross-sectional survey of needle and syringe programme attendees. MSIC client injection frequency and the number of needles and syringes distributed in the study area were used to estimate injection prevalence and injection coverage. FINDINGS From three convergent estimates, the mean estimated size of the IDU population aged 15-54 years was 1103 (range 877-1288), yielding a population prevalence of 3.6% (2.9-4.3%). Mean IDU coverage was 70.7% (range 59.1-86.7%) and the mean adjusted injection coverage was 8.8% (range 7.3-10.8%). Approximately 11.3% of the total IDU population were estimated to be new entrants to the population per month. CONCLUSIONS Credible local area IDU prevalence estimates using MSIC surveillance data were obtained. MSIC appears to achieve high coverage of the local IDU population, although only an estimated one in 10 injections occurs at MSIC. Future prevalence estimation efforts should incorporate open models to capture the dynamic nature of IDU populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo Kimber
- Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
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Dubois-Arber F, Benninghoff F, Jeannin A. Typology of injection profiles of clients of a supervised drug consumption facility in Geneva, Switzerland. Eur Addict Res 2008; 14:1-10. [PMID: 18182767 DOI: 10.1159/000110405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The use of a supervised drug consumption room (DCR) in a newly established low threshold facility in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2002 is analyzed. Two sources of routine data were used: data collected at the first visit by any new client (entry questionnaire) which included some personal details, and data collected on the substances injected at each visit to the DCR. A typology of injection profiles was constructed. Overall, the mean number of injections and days of visits per client over the year was low and cocaine was the main substance injected. However, an important heterogeneity in the use of the DCR was found and five types of clients identified: 1-day clients; standard clients; heroin-oriented clients; high cocaine consumption clients, and newcomers. Typology was associated with some characteristics at the first visit and the drug consumption pattern in the month preceding the first visit was in accordance with the subsequent use of the DCR. This heterogeneity in the use of the DCR highlights the diverse roles of the DCRs in harm reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Françoise Dubois-Arber
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, IUMSP, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Kerr T, Kimber J, DeBeck K, Wood E. The role of safer injection facilities in the response to HIV/AIDS among injection drug users. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 2007; 4:158-64. [DOI: 10.1007/s11904-007-0023-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Rhodes T, Kimber J, Small W, Fitzgerald J, Kerr T, Hickman M, Holloway G. Public injecting and the need for 'safer environment interventions' in the reduction of drug-related harm. Addiction 2006; 101:1384-93. [PMID: 16968336 DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2006.01556.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND One key structural dimension in the distribution of drug-related harm associated with injecting drug use is the injecting environment. Epidemiological evidence associates elevated blood-borne viral risk with injecting in 'public' and 'semipublic' environments. Yet the quality of evidence on public injecting and related viral risk is variable, and is lacking in many countries such as the United Kingdom. AIM This commentary considers the micro-injecting environment as a critical dimension of risk, exploring the need for 'safer injecting environment interventions'. METHODS We draw upon published research evidence and qualitative case examples. RESULTS We note the limits in epidemiological evidence on public injecting and emphasize the need for ethnographic research to determine the 'social relations' of how drug users and risk practices interact with injecting environments. We identify three main forms of 'safer environment intervention': purpose-built drug consumption rooms; interventions within existing spatial relations; and spatial programming and urban design. While drug consumption rooms find evidence-based support, they are not a panacea. We emphasize the potential of interventions embedded within existing spatial and social relations. These include low-cost pragmatic interventions enhancing facilities and safety at public and semipublic injecting sites and, primarily, peer-based interventions, including peer-supervised injecting sites. We caution against spatial programming and urban design interventions which can cause the displacement of socially marginalized populations and the redistribution of harm. CONCLUSIONS Public health interventions in the addictions field have in the past focused upon individual behavioural change at the cost of social interventions and environmental change. We wish to focus greater attention on reducing risks related to public injecting and encourage greater debate on 'safer environment interventions' in harm reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Rhodes
- Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour, Department of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.
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Fry CL, Cvetkovski S, Cameron J. The place of supervised injecting facilities within harm reduction: evidence, ethics and policy. Addiction 2006; 101:465-7. [PMID: 16548922 DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2006.01386.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Priya KR, Singh S, Dorabjee J, Varma S, Samson L. How Effective are Harm Reduction Programmes for Drug Users? Some Insights from an Evaluation of the Programme at Sharan in Delhi. JOURNAL OF HEALTH MANAGEMENT 2005. [DOI: 10.1177/097206340500700204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Drug use and the physical, psychological and social problems associated with it have been one of the major concerns among professionals in the domain of health and health psychology. One important reason for drug use being a matter of deep concern is the risk of HIV infection associated with it. Apart from the practice of unsafe sex among drug users, in recent decades sharing of needles/syringes by injecting drug users has contributed substantially to the spread of HIV/AIDS. The WHO has noted that the harm reduction approach provides an anxiety-free atmosphere (denied by the traditional abstinence-based intervention programmes) for drug users where they learn and discuss the personal social significance of not sharing needles/syringes and exchanging free needles/syringes. Importantly, apart from needle/syringe exchange, oral substitution of drugs, medical care and education to prevent HIV/AIDS, a harm reduction programme provides a psychological space to drug users that not only acts an emotional support but also enables them to reflect upon their life and risk behaviour. Apart from indicating the need of harm reduction programmes, this article also evaluates the effectiveness of such a programme run by Sharan, an NGO in Delhi, during 1999–2002. Apart from various components of the programme, unconditional acceptance of the drug users by the service providers has brought about substantial reduction in risk behaviour and noticeable improvement in their quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumar Ravi Priya
- Kumar Ravi Priya and Suneet Varma are at the Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110 007
| | - Siddharth Singh
- Siddharth Singh is at the Asian Harm Reduction Network, Chiang Mai University Post Office, Muang, Chiang Mai, Thailand 50202
| | - Jimmy Dorabjee
- Jimmy Dorabjee is at the Centre for Harm Reduction, Burnet Institute, GPO Box 2284, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
| | | | - Luke Samson
- Luke Samson is at the Society for Service to Urban Poverty (Sharan), C-4/53, Safdarjang Development Area, New Delhi 110 016
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Thein HH, Kimber J, Maher L, MacDonald M, Kaldor JM. Public opinion towards supervised injecting centres and the Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2005.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Roxburgh A, Degenhardt L, Breen C. Drug use and risk behaviours among injecting drug users: a comparison between sex workers and non-sex workers in Sydney, Australia. Harm Reduct J 2005; 2:7. [PMID: 15935103 PMCID: PMC1164426 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7517-2-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2005] [Accepted: 06/06/2005] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This paper examines the differences in demographics, drug use patterns and self reported risk behaviours between regular injecting drug users (IDU) who report engaging in sex work for money or drugs and regular injecting drug users who do not. Methods Cross sectional data collected from regular IDU interviewed as part of the New South Wales (NSW) Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) in 2003 were analysed. Results IDU who reported engaging in sex work were more likely to be female, and identify as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent. They initiated injecting drug use at a significantly younger age and were more likely to report injection related problems than IDU who had not engaged in sex work. There were no differences in the drug classes used, but findings suggested that the sex workers tended to be more frequent users of crystalline methamphetamine (ice) and benzodiazepines. Conclusion The similarities between these groups were more striking than the differences. Further research, examining a larger sample is needed to clarify whether injecting drug users who are sex workers have heavier use patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Roxburgh
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Louisa Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Courtney Breen
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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van Beek I, Kimber J, Dakin A, Gilmour S. The Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre: reducing harm associated with heroin overdose. CRITICAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2004. [DOI: 10.1080/09581590400027528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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