BackgroundMost of the existing research on supervised consumption services (SCS) is focused on injection drug use. Less is known about the applicability of SCS for people who consume drugs orally, intranasally, or through inhalation. This
Opioids are responsible for approximately 12 deaths per day in Canada. Virtually all (94%) of these deaths could be prevented, as they are caused by accidental opioid use. The burden of the “Opioid Crisis” goes
IntroductionOverdose is a leading cause of death in the United States, especially among people who inject drugs (PWID). Improving naloxone access and carrying among PWID may offset recent increases in overdose mortality associated with the
Background and aimsIn comparison with men, women who use drugs (WWUD) have considerably more frequent and intense experiences with interpersonal violence, sexual abuse and trauma. The aim of this study was to identify issues related
BackgroundPeople 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
BackgroundThe perspectives of people who use drugs are critical in understanding why people choose to reduce harm in relation to drug use, what practices are considered or preferred in conceptualizations of harm reduction, and which
BackgroundPeople who smoke crack cocaine experience a wide variety of health-related issues. However, public health programming designed for this population is limited, particularly in comparison with programming for people who inject drugs. Canadian best practice
Highlights• There was large regional variation in pharmacy-dispensed naloxone rates. • Dispensing rates were moderately correlated with regional rates of opioid overdose. • Sources of variation in dispensing rates amenable to intervention were identified. •
BackgroundTake home naloxone (THN) programs reduce mortality by training bystanders to respond to opioid overdoses. Clinical observation by the health care team at the Inner City Youth (ICY) program indicated that young adults appeared to
BackgroundHousing First is an evidence-based practice intended to serve chronically homeless individuals with co-occurring serious mental illness and substance use disorders. Despite housing active substance users, harm reduction is an often-overlooked element during the Housing
BackgroundThis article highlights the experiences of a peer-run group, SALOME/NAOMI Association of Patients (SNAP), that meets weekly in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. SNAP is a unique independent peer- run drug user
Canada has long contended with harms arising from injection drug use. In response to epidemics of HIV infection and overdose in Vancouver in the mid-1990s, a range of actors advocated for the creation of supervised
BackgroundIn Canada, funding, administration, and delivery of health services—including those targeting people who use drugs—are primarily the responsibility of the provinces and territories. Access to harm reduction services varies across jurisdictions, possibly reflecting differences in
BackgroundSupervised injection services (SIS) have been shown to reduce the public- and individual-level harms associated with injection drug use. While SIS feasibility research has been conducted in large urban centres, little is known about the
BackgroundPersons in addiction treatment are likely to experience and/or witness drug overdoses following treatment and thus could benefit from overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) programs. Diverting individuals from the criminal justice system to addiction
BackgroundSupervised consumption services (SCS) are being implemented across Canada in response to a variety of drug-related harms. We explored the implementation context of newly established SCS in Toronto and the role of policing in shaping
BackgroundSince 2013, fentanyl-contaminated drugs have been driving North America’s opioid-overdose epidemic. Drug checking, which enables people who use illicit drugs (PWUD) to test and receive feedback regarding the contents of their drugs, is being considered
BackgroundSince harm reduction’s origins as a grassroots, activist movement, cooperation and compromise among people who use drugs, bureaucrats, politicians, and other actors have been critical to its advancement in Canada. Critics have argued, however, that
In the United States, the rising prevalence of opioid addiction has led to an increase in opioid-related overdose deaths and transmission of infectious disease. This resulted in the declaration of a national public health emergency
Background: The operation of supervised consumption services (SCS), programs that offer supervised locations for the consumption of drugs such as heroin, other opioids, cocaine, other stimulants, and other drugs, is contingent on cooperative relationships with
