Perceptions about supervised injection facilities among people who inject drugs in Philadelphia

Understanding Regional Patterns of Overdose Deaths Related to Opioids and Psychostimulants

BACKGROUND

As overdose rates increase for multiple substances, policymakers need to identify geographic patterns of substance-specific deaths. In this study, we describe county-level opioid and psychostimulant overdose patterns and how they correlate with county-level social vulnerability measures.

METHODS

A cross-sectional observational study, we used nationwide 2016-2018 restricted access Centers for Disease Prevention and Control county-level mortality files for 1,024 counties. We estimated quartiles of opioid and psychostimulant overdose mortality and provided estimates of their association with county-level Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) percentile.

RESULTS

There was high opioid and psychostimulant overdose mortality in the Middle Atlantic, South Atlantic, East North Central, and Mountain regions. The Central US had the lowest opioid and psychostimulant overdose mortality rates. Counties with higher SVI scores (i.e. higher social vulnerability) were significantly more likely to experience high opioid and high psychostimulant overdose (high-high) mortality. A 10-percentile increase in SVI score was associated with a 3.1 percentage point increase in the likelihood of being a high-high county (p < 0.001) in unadjusted models and a 1.5 percentage point increase (p < 0.05) in models adjusting for region.

CONCLUSION

Our results illustrated the heterogenous geographic distribution of the growing concurrent opioid and psychostimulant overdose crisis. The substantial regional variation we identified highlights the need for local data to guide policymaking and treatment planning. The association of opioid-psychostimulant overdose mortality with social vulnerability demonstrates the critical need in impacted counties for tailored treatment that addresses the complex medical and social needs of people who use both opioids and psychostimulants.

Willingness to use a drug consumption room among people who use drugs in Lyon, France, a city with no open scene of drug use (the TRABOUL survey)

BACKGROUND

Drug consumption rooms (DCRs) have been developed in cities with open drug scenes, with the aim to reduce drug-related harm. In Lyon, France's second-largest city, there is no distinct drug use area, which raised doubts regarding the need for a DCR.

METHODS

We conducted a face-to-face survey of 264 people who use drugs (PWUDs), recruited in harm reduction or addiction treatment centers, in the streets or in squats. We assess their willingness to use a DCR, and we collected sociodemographic and medical features. Bivariable comparisons and analyses adjusted for sociodemographic parameters explored the association between willing to use a DCR and other variables, thus providing crude (ORs) and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

RESULTS

In total, 193 (73.1%) PWUDs accepted to participate (mean age 38.5 ± 9.3 years; 80.3% men). Among them, 64.2% declared willing to use a DCR. Being treatment-seeker (aOR 0.20, 95% CI [0.08-0.51]; p < 0.001) and not living alone (aOR 0.29; 95% CI [0.10-0.86], p = 0.025) were negatively associated with willing to use a DCR. By contrast, receiving precarity social insurance (aOR 4.12; 95% CI [1.86-9.14], p < 0.001), being seropositive for hepatitis C (aOR 3.60; 95% CI [1.20-10.84], p = 0.022), being cannabis user (aOR 2.45; 95% CI [1.01-5.99], p = 0.049), and reporting previous problems with residents (aOR 5.99; 95% CI [2.16-16.58], p < 0.001) or with the police (aOR = 4.85; 95% CI [1.43-16.39], p = 0.011) were positively associated.

CONCLUSIONS

PWUDs, especially the most precarious ones, largely supported the opening of a DCR in Lyon, a city with no open drug scene.

Social and structural determinants of injection drug use-associated bacterial and fungal infections: A qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis

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.

High willingness to use overdose prevention sites among suburban people who use drugs who do not inject

INTRODUCTION

Overdose prevention sites (OPS) are evidence-based interventions to improve public health, yet implementation has been limited in the USA due to a variety of legal impediments. Studies in various US settings have shown a high willingness to use OPS among urban and rural people who inject drugs, but data among people who use drugs (PWUD) via non-injection routes of administration in suburban areas are lacking.

METHODS

We utilized cross-sectional data from a sample of suburban PWUD who have not injected drugs in the past 3 months (N = 126) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. We assessed PWUDs' likelihood of using a hypothetical OPS and perceived potential barriers to accessing OPS. We tested for associations between sociodemographic characteristics, drug use, service access, and overdose experiences with willingness to utilize OPS.

FINDINGS

Participants' median age was 42, and the majority were men (67%) and non-Hispanic Black (79%). Sixty-six percent reported willingness to use an OPS. Concerns about confidentiality (29%), arrest (20%), and transportation costs (22%) were the most anticipated barriers to using OPS. Men (75% vs 55%, p = 0.015), participants who used heroin (53% vs 32%, p = 0.017), and participants who used multiple overdose prevention behaviors (e.g., using fentanyl test strips) (36% vs 19%, p = 0.006) were more likely to report willingness to use OPS.

CONCLUSION

Most suburban non-injecting PWUD in the sample were willing to use an OPS. OPS implementation strategies in suburban settings should be tailored to reach PWUD via non-injection routes of administration while meeting the unique needs of suburban contexts.

[Drug Consumption Rooms : Opinion and willingness among people who inject drugs in Marseille, France]

BACKGROUND

In France, people who inject drugs (PWID) are still one of the most at risk population for contracting hepatitis C virus (HCV). Drug consumption rooms (DCR) have shown their effectiveness on HCV risk behaviors abroad and in France, where they have been recently evaluated with the COSINUS study. In France, two DCRs opened in 2016, one in Paris and another in Strasbourg. The objective of this sub-analysis was to explore the willingness to use a DCR in PWID living in Marseille, where no DCR is opened.

METHODS

The COSINUS study is a prospective multicenter cohort that included 665 PWID recruited in Bordeaux, Marseille, Paris and Strasbourg between 2016 and 2019. Investigators administered questionnaires face-to-face at regular intervals at baseline, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. In Marseille, 199 PWID were recruited. A multivariable logistic regression model was performed to assess factors associated with willingness to use DCR among this population.

RESULTS

Among 545 observations corresponding to 195 distinct participants selected for analyses, 57% declared they were willing to attend a DCR. The main reason given was "to consume more cleanly". Receiving allowances (OR = 2.38; 95% confidence interval (CI) (95% CI) = 1.17-4.81), not having health insurance (OR = 3.61; 95% CI = 1.49-8.75), injecting daily (OR = 1.97; 95% CI = 1.05-3.70) and in a public space (OR = 2.66; 95% CI = 1.29-5.47) were all positively associated with willingness to use a DCR.

CONCLUSIONS

DCR are devices that target PWID exposed to high sanitary or social risks, i.e. people living in precarious conditions, who have to inject in public spaces, in deleterious sanitary environments and with rapid gestures in order not to be seen. These analyzes highlight that the people who most want to attend a DCR are aware of the harms associated with their practices and show a desire to seek protection from street-based drug scenes.

Acceptability of Overdose Prevention Sites in the Business Community in Baltimore, Maryland

Intervetions are urgently needed to reduce the trajectory of the US opioid overdose epidemic, yet implementation is often hampered by resistance or opposition from key community stakeholders. While businesses are economically and physically impacted by the opioid epidemic, they are rarely engaged in efforts to reduce its impact. The establishment of overdose prevention sites (OPS) is being discussed throughout many US jurisdictions with limited attention to the potential positive role of businesses in that process. We surveyed business owners and employees of businesses located in neighborhoods with concentrated drug markets. The study's primary aim was to examine their attitudes to locally-placed OPS. An iterative, two-phase sampling strategy was used to identify recruitment zones. In person (December 2019-March 2020) and telephone-based (April-July 2020) surveys were administered to distinct business owners and employees (N = 149). Sixty-five percent of participants supported OPS in their neighborhood and 47% had recently witnessed an overdose in or around their workplace. While 70% had heard of naloxone, and 38% reported having it on the premises. Correlates of supporting an OPS locally included living in the same neighborhood as work (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.99, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.30-3.05); having a more positive attitude towards people who use drugs (aOR 1.33, 95% CI: 1.13-1.58); and having recently seen an overdose in/around the workplace (aOR 2.86, 95% CI: 1.11-7.32). Lack of support being an owner (aOR 0.35, 95% CI: 0.15-0.83). These data indicate the extent to which businesses are directly impacted by the opioid epidemic and the power of personal experience in shaping OPS support in advocacy efforts.

Acceptability of supervised injection facilities among persons who inject drugs in upstate New York

BACKGROUND

Supervised injection facilities (SIFs) provide spaces where persons who inject drugs (PWID) can inject under medical supervision and access harm reduction services. Though SIFs are not currently sanctioned in most of the US, such facilities are being considered for approval in several Upstate New York communities. No data exist from PWID in Upstate New York, and little from outside major US urban centers, on willingness to use SIFs and associated factors.

METHODS

This analysis included 285 PWID (mean age = 38.7; 57.7% male; 72.3% non-Hispanic white) recruited for a study on hepatitis C prevalence among PWID in Upstate New York, where participants were recruited from syringe exchange programs (n = 80) and able to refer other PWID from their injection networks (n = 223). Participants completed an electronic questionnaire that included a brief description of SIFs and assessed willingness to use SIFs. We compared sociodemographic characteristics, drug use/harm reduction history, healthcare experience, and stigma between participants who were willing vs. unwilling to use such programs.

RESULTS

Overall, 67.4% were willing to use SIFs, 18.3% unwilling, and 14.4% unsure. Among those reporting being willing or unwilling, we found higher willingness among those who were currently homeless (91.8% vs. 74.6%; p = 0.004), who had interacted with police in the past 12 months (85.7% vs. 74.5%; p = 0.04), and who were refused service within a healthcare setting (100% vs. 77.1%; p = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

Our results support SIF acceptability in several Upstate New York PWID communities, particularly among those reporting feelings of marginalization. A large proportion reported being unsure about usage of SIFs, suggesting room for educating PWID on the potential benefits of this service. Our results support SIF acceptability in Upstate New York and may inform programming for underserved PWID, should SIFs become available.

Framing Kin Resistance to Opioid Overdose in Philadelphia

Interviews with close kin of those who died from opioid overdose in Philadelphia in 2017 reveal myriad strategies that families employ to minimize overdose risk, secure treatment options, and mitigate everyday precarity that can result from heroin addiction. Their efforts to keep kin alive - at times contradictory, conflicted, desperate and, in the end, ineffectual - reveal deeply situated structural vulnerabilities. When understood as "resistance" to death, however, kin strategies return us to a vital tenet of harm reduction - the imperative to develop programs in collaboration with those most impacted, in this case families at risk of overdose fatality.

Effect of an Unsanctioned Safe Consumption Site in the United States on Syringe Sharing, Rushed Injections, and Isolated Injection Drug Use: A Longitudinal Cohort Analysis

BACKGROUND

HIV and other medical complications of drug use, including overdose, are rising among people who inject drugs in the United States (US). Risk of complications and mortality increase with injection behaviors such as syringe sharing, rushing injections, and injecting in isolated places. Studies suggest safe consumption sites (SCS) reduce high-risk injection behaviors by offering sterile syringes and a safe, supervised space to consume drugs, although this has yet to be evaluated in the US.

SETTING

An unsanctioned SCS in an undisclosed US location.

METHODS

From 2018 to 2019, we recruited people who inject drugs using targeted sampling methods (N = 494) and conducted interviews at baseline, 6-, and 12-months. We sought to determine associations of past-month SCS use with past-month receptive syringe sharing, rushed injections, and injections in isolated places. We analyzed data using inverse probability of treatment weighted Poisson regression models. Generalized estimating equations accounted for repeated measures.

RESULTS

Fifty-two (11%) participants had past-month SCS use. Participants with past-month SCS use had decreased rates of receptive syringe sharing (Incident rate ratio [IRR] 0.17, 95% CI: 0.03 to 1.02) and injecting in an isolated location (IRR 0.77, 95% CI: 0.54 to 1.27) compared with those without past-month SCS use, although results were not statistically conclusive. Rate of rushed injections was only slightly lower (IRR 0.94, 95% CI: 0.70 to 1.30).

CONCLUSION

SCS may show benefit in reducing high-risk injection practices, and legal sanctioning of an SCS may offer further advantages. SCS implementation should be considered to help reduce the spread of HIV, overdose mortality, and prevent other medical complications of injection drug use.

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

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

Equity-oriented frameworks to inform responses to opioid overdoses: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this scoping review was to systematically identify and describe literature that uses a health equity-oriented approach for preventing and reducing the harms of stigma or overdose for people who use illicit drugs or misuse prescription opioids.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

To be included, papers had to both: i) use a health equity-oriented approach, defined as a response that addresses health inequities and aims to reduce drug-related harms of stigma or overdose; and ii) include at least one of the following concepts: cultural safety, trauma- and violence-informed care, or harm reduction. We also looked for papers that included an Indigenous-informed perspective in addition to any of the three concepts.

METHODS

An a priori protocol was published and the JBI methodology for conducting scoping reviews was employed. Published and unpublished literature from January 1, 2000, to July 31, 2019, was included. The databases searched included CINAHL (EBSCOhost), MEDLINE (Ovid), Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost), PsycINFO (EBSCOhost), Sociological Abstracts and Social Services Abstracts (ProQuest), JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PROSPERO, Aboriginal Health Abstract Database, First Nations Periodical Index, and the National Indigenous Studies Portal. The search for unpublished studies included ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Google Scholar, and targeted web searches. Screening and data extraction were performed by two reviewers using templates developed by the authors. Data extraction included specific details about the population, concepts, context, and key findings or recommendations relevant to the review objectives.

RESULTS

A total of a total of 1065 articles were identified and screened, with a total of 148 articles included. The majority were published in the previous five years (73%) and were from North America (78%). Most articles only focused on one of the three health equity-oriented approaches, most often harm reduction (n = 79), with only 16 articles including all three. There were 14 articles identified that also included an Indigenous-informed perspective. Almost one-half of the papers were qualitative (n = 65; 44%) and 26 papers included a framework. Of these, seven papers described a framework that included all three approaches, but none included an Indigenous-informed perspective. Recommendations for health equity-oriented approaches are: i) inclusion of people with lived and living experience; ii) multifaceted approaches to reduce stigma and discrimination; iii) recognize and address inequities; iv) drug policy reform and decriminalization; v) ensure harm-reduction principles are applied within comprehensive responses; and vi) proportionate universalism. Gaps in knowledge and areas for future research are discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

We have identified few conceptual frameworks that are both health equity-oriented and incorporate multiple concepts that could enrich responses to the opioid poisoning emergency. More research is required to evaluate the impact of these integrated frameworks for action.

Feasibility, acceptability, concerns, and challenges of implementing supervised injection services at a specialty HIV hospital in Toronto, Canada: perspectives of people living with HIV

BACKGROUND

Substance use significantly impacts health and healthcare of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV), especially their ability to remain in hospital following admission. Supervised injection services (SIS) reduce overdoses and drug-related harms, but are not often provided within hospitals/outpatient programs. Leading us to question, what are PLHIV's perceptions of hospital-based SIS?

METHODS

This mixed-methods study explored feasibility and acceptability of implementing SIS at Casey House, a Toronto-based specialty HIV hospital, from the perspective of its in/outpatient clients. We conducted a survey, examining clients' (n = 92) demand for, and acceptability of, hospital-based SIS. Following this, we hosted two focus groups (n = 14) and one-on-one interviews (n = 8) with clients which explored benefits/drawbacks of in-hospital SIS, wherein participants experienced guided tours of a demonstration SIS space and/or presentations of evidence about impacts of SIS. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Among survey participants, 76.1% (n = 70) identified as cis-male and over half (n = 49;54.4%) had been a hospital client for 2 years or less. Nearly half (48.8%) knew about clients injecting in/near Casey House, while 23.6% witnessed it. Survey participants were more supportive of SIS for inpatients (76.1%) than for outpatients (68.5%); most (74.7%) reported SIS implementation would not impact their level of service use at Casey House, while some predicted coming more often (16.1%) and others less often (9.2%). Most focus group/interview participants, believed SIS would enhance safety by reducing health harms (e.g. overdose), increasing transparency between clients and clinicians about substance use, and helping retain clients in care. Debate arose about who (e.g., in/outpatients vs. non-clients) should have access to hospital-based SIS and how implementation may shift organizational priorities/resources away from services not specific to drug use.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data showed widespread support of, and need for, hospital-based SIS among client stakeholders; however, attempts to reduce negative impacts on non-drug using clients need to be considered in the balance of implementation plans. Given the increased risks of morbidity and mortality for PLHIV who inject drugs as well as the problems in retaining them in care in a hospital setting, SIS is a key component of improving care for this marginalized group.

Perceived Behavioral Control and Barriers to Cleaning Skin Before Injecting Drugs

OBJECTIVES

Skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTI) among people who inject drugs (PWID) are common and represent a significant public health burden. In the current study, we examined the relationship between perceived behavioral control and perceived barriers to cleaning skin before injecting drugs.

METHODS

Participants (n = 248; 37.9 [±10.7] years of age, 58.5% male, 59.3% white, 16.1% Hispanic) were patients seeking medical care at a large urban hospital in the northeastern United States. We used ordinary least squares regression to estimate the associations between perceived barriers to skin cleaning with background characteristics and perceived behavioral control.

RESULTS

Controlling for background and other study variables, greater number of past-year skin abscesses was associated with greater level of perceived barriers to skin cleaning (P < 0.001), whereas higher level of education and higher perceived behavioral control were associated with lower levels of perceived barriers to skin cleaning (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions aiming to reduce the likelihood for SSTI among people who inject drugs may benefit from strengthening individual's behavioral control and providing skin cleaning skills training.

Community perspectives on supervised consumption sites: Insights from four U.S. counties deeply affected by opioids

BACKGROUND

To address the overdose crisis in the United States, expert groups have been nearly unanimous in calls for increasing access to evidence-based treatment and overdose reversal drugs. In some places there have also been calls for implementing supervised consumption sites (SCSs). Some cities-primarily in coastal urban areas-have explored the feasibility and acceptability of introducing them. However, the perspectives of community stakeholders from more inland and rural areas that have also been hard hit by opioids are largely missing from the literature.

METHODS

To examine community attitudes about implementing SCSs for people who use opioids (PWUO) in areas with acute opioid problems, the research team conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups in four counties: Ashtabula and Cuyahoga Counties in Ohio, and Carroll and Hillsborough Counties in New Hampshire, two states with high rates of opioid overdose. Participants were policy, treatment, and criminal justice professionals, frontline harm reduction and service providers, and PWUO.

RESULTS

Key informants noted benefits to SCSs, but also perceived potential drawbacks such as that they may enable opioid use, and potential practical barriers, including lack of desire among PWUO to travel to an SCS after purchasing opioids and fear of arrest. Key informants generally believed their communities likely would not currently accept SCSs due to cultural, resource, and practical barriers. They viewed publication of evidence on SCSs and community education as essential for fostering acceptance.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite cultural and other barriers, implementation of SCSs may be more feasible in urban communities with existing (and perhaps more long-standing) harm reduction programs, greater treatment resources, and adequate transportation, particularly if there is strong evidence to support them.

Practical Guidance for Studies Using Freelisting Interviews

Freelisting is a qualitative interviewing technique that has recently grown in popularity. It is an excellent tool for rapidly exploring how groups of people think about and define a particular health-related domain and is well suited for engaging communities and identifying shared priorities. In this article, we outline 7 practical considerations for conducting freelisting studies summarized from 16 articles conducted by the authors at the University of Pennsylvania and Thomas Jefferson University in partnership with community-based organizations and students. Our recommendations can inform study design, data collection, and data analysis for investigators who are interested in using freelisting interviews in their research.

Clonal expansion of community-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in people who inject drugs (PWID): prevalence, risk factors and molecular epidemiology, Bristol, United Kingdom, 2012 to 2017

Background: In 2015, Bristol (South West England) experienced a large increase in cases of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in people who inject drugs (PWID).

Aim: We aimed to characterise and estimate the prevalence of MRSA colonisation among PWID in Bristol and test evidence of a clonal outbreak.

Methods: PWID recruited through an unlinked-anonymous community survey during 2016 completed behavioural questionnaires and were screened for MRSA. Univariable logistic regression examined associations with MRSA colonisation. Whole-genome sequencing used lineage-matched MRSA isolates, comparing PWID (screening and retrospective bacteraemia samples from 2012-2017) with non-PWID (Bristol screening) in Bristol and national reference laboratory database samples.

Results: The MRSA colonisation prevalence was 8.7% (13/149) and was associated with frequently injecting in public places (odds ratio (OR): 5.5; 95% confidence interval (CI):1.34–22.70), recent healthcare contact (OR: 4.3; 95% CI: 1.34–13.80) and injecting in groups of three or more (OR: 15.8; 95% CI: 2.51–99.28). People reporting any one of: injecting in public places, injection site skin and soft tissue infection or hospital contact accounted for 12/13 MRSA positive cases (sensitivity 92.3%; specificity 51.5%). Phylogenetic analysis identified a dominant clade associated with infection and colonisation among PWID in Bristol belonging to ST5-SCCmecIVg.

Conclusions: MRSA colonisation in Bristol PWID is substantially elevated compared with general population estimates and there is evidence of clonal expansion, community-based transmission and increased infection risk related to the colonising strain. Targeted interventions, including community screening and suppression therapy, education and basic infection control are needed to reduce MRSA infections in PWID.

Challenges posed by COVID-19 to people who inject drugs and lessons from other outbreaks

INTRODUCTION

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, considerable effort is going into identifying and protecting those at risk. Criminalization, stigmatization and the psychological, physical, behavioural and economic consequences of substance use make people who inject drugs (PWID) extremely vulnerable to many infectious diseases. While relationships between drug use and blood-borne and sexually transmitted infections are well studied, less attention has been paid to other infectious disease outbreaks among PWID.

DISCUSSION

COVID-19 is likely to disproportionally affect PWID due to a high prevalence of comorbidities that make the disease more severe, unsanitary and overcrowded living conditions, stigmatization, common incarceration, homelessness and difficulties in adhering to quarantine, social distancing or self-isolation mandates. The COVID-19 pandemic also jeopardizes essential for PWID services, such as needle exchange or substitution therapy programmes, which can be affected both in a short- and a long-term perspective. Importantly, there is substantial evidence of other infectious disease outbreaks in PWID that were associated with factors that enable COVID-19 transmission, such as poor hygiene, overcrowded living conditions and communal ways of using drugs.

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 crisis might increase risks of homelessnes, overdoses and unsafe injecting and sexual practices for PWID. In order to address existing inequalities, consultations with PWID advocacy groups are vital when designing inclusive health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

High willingness to use overdose prevention sites among female sex workers in Baltimore, Maryland

BACKGROUND

Overdose Prevention Sites (OPS) operate worldwide as spaces where people can consume previously purchased drugs under supervision, and are linked to reductions in HIV/HCV transmission and fatal overdoses. As the United States weighs their merits and legality, research is needed to estimate acceptability and use among populations at high risk for overdose. We examine willingness to use OPS among street-based female sex workers (FSW) with prevalent drug use and associated morbidities.

METHODS

We describe self-reported willingness, barriers and conditions around use of a hypothetical OPS among 141 FSW engaged in active drug use in Baltimore City, and describe trends using Pearson's χ2 and Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTS

Most women had history of overdose (55 %) and were likely to use OPS (77 %). Willingness was higher among women who: were sexual minorities (97 %;P=0.002),experienced homelessness (82 %;P=0.019), injected drugs (82 %;P=0.013), shared syringes (82 %;P=0.007), experienced sexual violence (92 %;P=0.045) or reported heroin use (83 %;P=0.039) in the past 3 months. Common anticipated barriers included transportation (45 %) and fear of arrest (41 %).

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights a population of uniquely high-risk women who would benefit from an OPS integrated with other services. Conditions and barriers discussed are informative for planning and implementation.

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

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.

Examining Overdose and Homelessness as Predictors of Willingness to Use Supervised Injection Facilities by Services Provided Among Persons Who Inject Drugs

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Internationally, supervised injection facilities (SIFs) have demonstrated efficacy in reducing rates of overdose and promoting entry into treatment among persons who inject drugs (PWID); however, they remain unavailable in the United States. Early findings examining American PWID illustrate high overall willingness to use SIFs. The current study expands upon this research by examining PWID's likelihood to use SIFs based on services offered (eg, provides clean needles, linkage to treatment programs) and whether known risk factors (prior overdose, homelessness) influence PWID's willingness to use a SIF.

METHODS

Participants (n = 184) were patients entering short-term inpatient opioid withdrawal management in Massachusetts between May 2018 and February 2019 who reported injection drug use in the prior 30 days. We examined PWID's likelihood to use a SIF if eight unique services were available, and compared if this differed by overdose history and homelessness status using ordered logistic regression and Pearson's χ² -tests of independence.

RESULTS

Participants (34.2 [±8.3 SD] years of age, 68.5% male, 85.9% white, 8.2% Hispanic) reported being most likely to use SIFs that provided safety from police intervention (86.7%), entry into withdrawal management (85.9%), or clean needles (83.2%). Drug works disposal and safety from police were particularly important for PWID with a history of overdose.

CONCLUSION AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE

Overall, treatment-seeking PWIDs reported greater willingness to utilize SIFs if particular services were provided. These findings point to features of SIFs that may enhance treatment-seeking PWID's amenability to utilizing these services if such sites open in the United States. (Am J Addict 2021;30:21-25).

Risk behaviours of homeless people who inject drugs during an outbreak of hepatitis C, Northern Ireland, 2016-2017

From July to August 2016, 4 homeless people who injected drugs (PWID) with acute or recent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were reported in Belfast. A multidisciplinary team including public health, homeless and addiction services undertook an investigation to identify risk behaviours and interrupt transmission chains. Recent HCV cases were defined as negative test within the previous year, or reported injecting for less than 1 year; acute cases had tested negative within the previous 6 months. Contacts in the injecting networks of cases were identified for testing. We undertook a cross-sectional survey using structured questionnaires to elicit risk behaviours for PWID and compare behaviours between self-reported hepatitis C positive and negative subjects. During the outbreak investigation until December 2017, 156 PWID were tested and 45 (29%) cases identified, including 7 (16%) recent and 13 (29%) acute infections. 68 PWID, including 12 cases, were interviewed. All respondents reported using heroin, with 76% injecting once or more daily. Sharing was reported for spoons (58%) and filters (53%), but also needles (27%) and syringes (29%). Hepatitis C positive individuals had higher odds to be injecting in public toilets (AOR 17, 95% CI 0.71-400, P < .05) when compared with hepatitis C negative individuals. Hepatitis C positive individuals were more likely to inject in public spaces, but all respondents indicated concerning risk behaviours. We recommend active surveillance with ongoing testing, expanding existing harm reduction programmes and access to bespoke services.

People, places, and stigma: A qualitative study exploring the overdose risk environment in rural Kentucky

BACKGROUND

Though overdose rates have been increasing in US rural areas for two decades, little is known about the rural risk environment for overdoses. This qualitative study explored the risk environment for overdoses among young adults in Eastern Kentucky, a rural epicenter of the US opioid epidemic.

METHODS

Participants were recruited via community-based outreach. Eligibility criteria included living in one of five rural Eastern Kentucky counties; being aged 18-35; and using opioids to get high in the past 30 days. Semi-structured interviews explored the rural risk environment, and strategies to prevent overdose and dying from an overdose. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using constructivist grounded-theory methods.

RESULTS

In this sample (N = 19), participants reported using in a range of locations, including homes and outdoor settings; concerns about community stigma and law enforcement shaped the settings where participants used opioids and the strategies they deployed in these settings to prevent an overdose, and to survive an overdose. Almost half of participants reported using opioids in a "trap house" or other dealing locations, often to evade police after buying drugs, and reported that others present pressed them to use more than usual. If an overdose occurred in this setting, however, these same people might refuse to call EMS to protect themselves from arrest. Outdoor settings presented particular vulnerabilities to overdose and dying from an overdose. Most participants reported using opioids outdoors, where they skipped overdose prevention steps to reduce their risk of arrest; they worried that no one would find them if they overdosed, and that cell phone coverage would be too weak to summon EMS.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that initiatives to reduce overdoses in Eastern Kentucky would be strengthened by de-escalating the War on Drugs and engaging law enforcement in initiatives to protect the health of people who use opioids.

Acceptability of safe drug consumption spaces among people who inject drugs in rural West Virginia

Aim

Safe consumption spaces (SCS) are indoor environments in which people can use drugs with trained personnel on site to provide overdose reversal and risk reduction services. SCS have been shown to reduce fatal overdoses, decrease public syringe disposal, and reduce public drug consumption. Existing SCS research in the USA has explored acceptability for the hypothetical use of SCS, but primarily among urban populations of people who inject drugs (PWID). Given the disproportionate impact of the opioid crisis in rural communities, this research examines hypothetical SCS acceptability among a rural sample of PWID in West Virginia.

Methods

Data were drawn from a 2018 cross-sectional survey of PWID (n = 373) who reported injection drug use in the previous 6 months and residence in Cabell County, West Virginia. Participants were asked about their hypothetical use of a SCS with responses dichotomized into two groups, likely and unlikely SCS users. Chi-square and t tests were conducted to identify differences between likely and unlikely SCS users across demographic, substance use, and health measures.

Results

Survey participants were 59.5% male, 83.4% non-Hispanic White, and 79.1% reported likely hypothetical SCS use. Hypothetical SCS users were significantly (p < .05) more likely to have recently (past 6 months) injected cocaine (38.3% vs. 25.7%), speedball (41.0% vs. 24.3%), and to report preferring drugs containing fentanyl (32.5% vs. 20.3%). Additionally, likely SCS users were significantly more likely to have recently experienced an overdose (46.8% vs. 32.4%), witnessed an overdose (78.3% vs. 60.8%), and received naloxone (51.2% vs. 37.8%). Likely SCS users were less likely to have borrowed a syringe from a friend (34.6% vs. 48.7%).

Conclusions

Rural PWID engaging in high-risk behaviors perceive SCS as an acceptable harm reduction strategy. SCS may be a viable option to reduce overdose fatalities in rural communities.

Overdose Prevention Site Acceptability among Residents and Businesses Surrounding a Proposed Site in Philadelphia, USA

Overdose prevention sites (OPS) are places where people use previously obtained drugs under the supervision of a health professional. They have been proposed in six United States (US) cities, including Philadelphia, to help reduce opioid-related overdose deaths and public injection. Philadelphia has the highest overdose rate among large cities in the US, which has led a local community-based organization to plan the implementation of OPS. Kensington, a neighborhood with the highest drug mortality overdose rates in the city, is a likely site for the proposed OPS. Given the dearth of research systematically assessing public opinion towards OPS prior to implementation, we enrolled 360 residents and 79 business owners/staff in the Kensington neighborhood in a cross-sectional acceptability study. Face-to-face surveys assessed participant characteristics, experiences with drug-related social problems, and OPS acceptability. Using descriptive statistics, we estimated factors associated with favorability towards opening an OPS in the Kensington neighborhood. Ninety percent of residents were in favor of an OPS opening in Kensington. Support was significantly higher among unstably housed individuals and persons who currently use opioids. In the business sample, 63% of owners/staff were in favor of opening an OPS in Kensington. A greater proportion of Asian/Pacific Islanders, Hispanic/Latinx respondents, and non-Hispanic/Latinx Black respondents were in favor of an OPS opening in Kensington compared with white respondents (p < 0.04). While details about implementation are still being considered, results indicate general acceptability among Kensington residents and businesses for an OPS, especially if it can deliver benefits that curb drug-related social problems. Should an OPS be implemented in Philadelphia, it would be important to monitor changes in drug-related social problems and acceptability post implementation.

A systematic review of stakeholder perceptions of supervised injection facilities

INTRODUCTION

Supervised injection facilities (SIFs) have been developed to address the public health burden associated with substance use. While these facilities have been associated with a number of positive outcomes, stakeholder opinion (the opinions of those potentially affected by these facilities) is likely to influence their future development. This systematic review aims to answer the question, "how do stakeholders perceive SIFs?"

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Articles were located through nine academic databases, by searching for grey literature, by contacting health departments in countries where SIFs have been implemented, by searching articles that cited included articles, and by searching the reference lists of included articles. Two reviewers screened all articles. Data was double-extracted and quality appraised. All extracted perceptions were analyzed by two coders.

RESULTS

Forty-seven articles were synthesized. Key themes included (1) benefits of SIFs, such as the increased safety of people who use drugs (PWUD) and the education that was provided at these facilities; (2) concerns regarding SIFs, such as the location of these facilities and existing rules and regulations; and (3) suggestions for SIFs, such as changing restrictions and regulations. Perceptions often fluctuated between stakeholders with first-hand experience of SIFs (e.g. staff and PWUD) and stakeholders not involved in the operation of SIFs (e.g. the general public).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this review illustrate how perceptions vary and align across different types of SIFs. Going forward, it will be important to draw on these insights to facilitate a more informed discussion on the implementation and continuation of these facilities.

Experiences with skin and soft tissue infections among people who inject drugs in Philadelphia: A qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

To understand how people who inject drugs (PWID) experience skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) and make decisions to seek or delay medical treatment.

METHODS

We conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews in 2015 with 19 PWID at a syringe exchange program in Philadelphia. We analyzed the data using standard qualitative techniques.

RESULTS

PWID described adequate knowledge about SSTI, although they could not always implement knowledge about SSTI prevention due to environmental constraints. Participants reported different experiences with incident SSTI. Some sought immediate medical care at initial presentation. Most, however, waited to seek care. Previous positive and negative healthcare experiences, both in general -including stigma and withdrawal- and specific to SSTI, influenced this decision. Among those who delayed medical care, some reported self-treatment, including increased drug use for pain control, and lancing and draining their own wounds.

CONCLUSION

Reducing the incidence of SSTI and promoting earlier treatment are important public health priorities. Both require ongoing attention and improvements to the environments in which PWID inject and receive care.