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"I probably got a minute": Perceptions of fentanyl test strip use among people who use stimulants
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

"I probably got a minute": Perceptions of fentanyl test strip use among people who use stimulants

Megan K Reed, Alexis M Roth, Loni P Tabb, Ali K Groves and Stephen E Lankenau
The International journal of drug policy, v 92, pp 103147-103147
11 Feb 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103147
PMID: 33583679
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8217094View
Accepted (AM)Open Access (License Unspecified),  Open

Abstract

Fentanyl Stimulants Fentanyl test strips Overdose prevention Drug checking
Fentanyl dominates the heroin supply in many regions of the United States. One harm reduction response has been the distribution of fentanyl test strips to people who use heroin to test for the presence of fentanyl. Reports increasingly indicate that fentanyl contamination is occurring in the illicit stimulant market, but whether people who use stimulants would use fentanyl test strips is unknown. Between January 2019 and January 2020, fifteen people in Philadelphia, PA who reported stimulant use completed a semi-structured interview with questions about their perceptions of fentanyl and willingness to use fentanyl test strips. Data were coded and analyzed for thematic content using constructs from the Health Belief Model and risk environment theory. Participants primarily reported using crack cocaine or crack cocaine/heroin, while some used methamphetamine, powder cocaine, or prescription opioids. All were aware of fentanyl and believed they were susceptible to a fentanyl overdose as stimulant users. Participants perceived benefits of using test strips but reported barriers, such as the unpredictable nature of buying or using drugs and not wanting to delay drug use to test. Structural conditions impeded participant actions to reduce overdose risk if their drugs tested positive for fentanyl. Fentanyl test strips were a desired harm reduction tool by many participants who used stimulants. In addition to providing access to the strips, programs should tailor overdose prevention education to these clients by acknowledging susceptibility, amplifying benefits, and addressing drug-specific barriers to use of fentanyl test strips.

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53 citations in Web of Science
43 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Substance Abuse
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