Journal article
Willingness to use drug checking within future supervised injection services among people who inject drugs in a mid-sized Canadian city
Drug and alcohol dependence, v 185
01 Apr 2018
PMID: 29475198
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Background: Esclating epidemics of fatal overdose are affecting communities across Canada. In many instances, the unanticipated presence of powerful opioids, such as fentanyl, in street drugs is a contributing factor. Drug checking offered within supervised injection services (SIS) is being considered as a potential measure for reducing overdose and related harms. We therefore sought to characterize the willingness of people who inject drugs (PWID) to use drug checking within SIS.
Methods: Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey examining the feasibility of SIS in London, Canada, a mid-sized city. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with willingness to frequently (always or usually) use drug checking at SIS.
Results: Between March and April 2016, 180 PWID were included in the present study, including 68 (38%) women. In total, 78 (43%) reported that they would frequently check their drugs at SIS if this service were available. In multivariable analyses, female gender (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 2.31; 95% confidence interval [CI]: (1.20-4.46), homelessness (AOR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.14-4.86), and drug dealing (AOR = 2.16; 95% CI: 1.07-4.33) were positively associated with willingness to frequently check drugs at SIS.
Conclusion. These findings highlight the potential of drug checking as a complement to other services offered within SIS, particularly given that subpopulations of PWID at heightened risk of overdose were more likely to report willingness to frequently use this service. However, further research is needed to determine the possible health impacts of offering drug checking at SIS.
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Details
- Title
- Willingness to use drug checking within future supervised injection services among people who inject drugs in a mid-sized Canadian city
- Creators
- Mary Clare Kennedy - St Pauls Hosp, British Columbia Ctr Subst Use, British Columbia Ctr Excellence HIV AIDS, 608-1081 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, CanadaAyden Scheim - Western UniversityBeth Rachlis - University of TorontoSanjana Mitra - University of British ColumbiaGeoff Bardwell - University of British ColumbiaSean Rourke - Ontario HIV Treatment NetworkThomas Kerr - St. Paul's Hospital
- Publication Details
- Drug and alcohol dependence, v 185
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Number of pages
- 5
- Grant note
- Mitacs Elevate Postdoctoral Fellowship from Mitacs Canada Mitacs Accelerate Award from Mitacs Canada Ontario HIV Treatment Network Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Centre for REACH in HIV/AIDS Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowship FDN-148476 / Thomas Kerr's CIHR Foundation Grant
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000430784100032
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85044376386
- Other Identifier
- 991020100195804721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychiatry
- Substance Abuse