scholarly journals The Implementation of Drug Checking Services for People Who Use Drugs: A Systematic Review

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazlee Maghsoudi ◽  
Justine Tanguay ◽  
Kristy Scarfone ◽  
Indhu Rammohan ◽  
Carolyn Ziegler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
People Who Use Drugs ◽  
Drug Checking

scholarly journals The Implementation of Drug Checking Services for People Who Use Drugs: A Systematic Review

Qeios ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazlee Maghsoudi ◽  
Justine Tanguay ◽  
Kristy Scarfone ◽  
Indhu Rammohan ◽  
Carolyn Ziegler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
People Who Use Drugs ◽  
Drug Checking

Auras of Detection: Power and Knowledge in Drug Prohibition

2021 ◽  
pp. 009145092110354
Author(s):  
Jennifer J. Carroll
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Knowledge Production ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Drug Market ◽  
Epistemic Authority ◽  
People Who Use Drugs ◽  
Drug Supply ◽  
Political Implications ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Drug Checking

Drug checking is an evidence-based strategy for overdose prevention that continues to operate (where it operates) in a legal “gray zone” due to the legal classification of some drug checking tools as drug paraphernalia—the purview of law enforcement, not public health. This article takes the emergence of fentanyl in the U.S. drug supply as a starting point for examining two closely related questions about drug checking and drug market expertise. First, how is the epistemic authority of law enforcement over the material realities of the drug market produced? Second, in the context of that authority, what are the socio-political implications of technologically advanced drug checking instruments in the hands of people who use drugs? The expertise that people who use drugs maintain about the nature of illicit drug market and how to navigate the illicit drug supply has long been discounted as untrustworthy, irrational, or otherwise invalid. Yet, increased access to drug checking tools has the potential to afford the knowledge produced by people who use drugs a technological validity it has never before enjoyed. In this article, I engage with theories of knowledge production and ontological standpoint from the field of science, technology, and society studies to examine how law enforcement produces and maintains epistemic authority over the illicit drug market and to explore how drug checking technologies enable new forms of knowledge production. I argue that drug checking be viewed as a form of social resistance against law enforcement’s epistemological authority and as a refuge against the harms produced by drug criminalization.

scholarly journals Acceptability of implementing community-based drug checking services for people who use drugs in three United States cities: Baltimore, Boston and Providence

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 ◽  
pp. 46-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan G. Sherman ◽  
Kenneth B. Morales ◽  
Ju Nyeong Park ◽  
Michelle McKenzie ◽  
Brandon D.L. Marshall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
People Who Use Drugs ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Drug Checking

scholarly journals Interventions to Reduce Stigma Related to People who Use Drugs: Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Gonçalves de Andrade Tostes ◽  
Rafaela Toledo Dias ◽  
Andressa Aparecida da Silva Reis ◽  
Pollyanna Santos da Silveira ◽  
Telmo Mota Ronzani
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
People Who Use Drugs ◽  
Adherence To Treatment

Abstract Interventions to reduce stigma related to people who use drugs can improve their quality of life and adherence to treatment. This review aimed to identify and analyze studies on interventions to reduce the stigma related to people who use drugs. Searches were performed in the following databases, without period delimitation: PubmMed, APA PsycNET, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and VHL. Considering secondary referencing, we identified a total of 5,488 records. This review covered 28 articles and was based on PRISMA. Although target audiences comprising students and health professionals were predominant, as well as the use of quantitative methods, sample size and interventions varied among studies. The selected studies present considerable methodological limitations. We concluded that no evidence confirms the effectiveness of the proposed interventions and which of them should continue to be applied for this specific aim. It is essential to invest in approaches other than those traditionally adopted.

scholarly journals Factors associated with drug checking service utilization among people who use drugs in a Canadian setting

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Viseth Long ◽  
Jaime Arredondo ◽  
Lianping Ti ◽  
Cameron Grant ◽  
Kora DeBeck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Market ◽  
The United States ◽  
People Who Use Drugs ◽  
Opioid Overdose ◽  
Urine Drug Screen ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Drug Dealing ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Urine Drug ◽  
Drug Checking

Abstract Background The United States and Canada are amidst an opioid overdose crisis, with the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) among the hardest hit. In response, drug checking services (DCS) have been introduced in this setting as a novel pilot harm reduction intervention though little is known about usage rates. Therefore, we sought to identify factors associated with drug checking uptake among people who use drugs (PWUD) in Vancouver, BC. Methods Data were derived from three ongoing prospective cohort studies of PWUD in Vancouver between June and November 2018. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with self-reported DCS utilization in the past 6 months among participants at high risk of fentanyl exposure (i.e., those self-reporting illicit opioid use or testing positive for fentanyl via urine drug screen). Results Among 828 eligible participants, including 451 (55%) males, 176 (21%) reported recent use of DCS. In multivariable analyses, factors significantly associated with DCS utilization included: homelessness (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 1.47; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.01–2.13) and involvement in drug dealing (AOR 1.59; 95% CI 1.05–2.39). Conclusions In our sample of PWUD, uptake of DCS was low, although those who were homeless, a sub-population known to be at a heightened risk of overdose, were more likely to use the services. Those involved in drug dealing were also more likely to use the services, which may imply potential for improving drug market safety. Further evaluation of drug checking is warranted.

scholarly journals What About Drug Checking? Systematic Review and Netnographic Analysis of Social Media

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 906-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amira Guirguis ◽  
Isma Moosa ◽  
Rosalind Gittins ◽  
Fabrizio Schifano
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Harm Reduction ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Criminal Records ◽  
Social Burden ◽  
Treatment Services ◽  
Harm Reduction Intervention ◽  
Drug Checking ◽  
Negative Perceptions

Drug checking services have been operating worldwide as a harm reduction tool in places like festivals and night clubs. A systematic review and netnographic analysis were conducted to explore the public’s perception of drug checking. Although public perceptions of drug checking had not previously been evaluated in the literature, some positive and negative perceptions were captured. From twitter, a total of 1316 tweets were initially identified. Following the removal of irrelevant tweets, 235 relevant tweets were identified, of which about 95% (n = 223) tweets were in favour, and about 5% (n = 12) were not in favour of drug checking as a harm reduction intervention. Tweets perceived the service as part of effective law reform, public health intervention that serves in raising awareness and countering the role of the internet, initiative to reduce drug related harms and/ or potentially deaths, help in identifying Novel drug trends related to drugs, enabling a scientific basis to capture data, reducing harm from risky drugs or risky consumption, reducing the economic and social burden on society and preventing young people from having criminal records and punitive fines. Drug checking was perceived to support engagement with treatment services and support individuals in making more informed decisions. Tweets against drug checking focussed on the concerns over the quality of drug checking, particularly with false-positive results, which may lead to punitive outcomes, discrimination, and prejudice. The present study showed that twitter can be a useful platform to capture people’s perceptions of drug checking.

scholarly journals Understanding the Impacts of Novel Coronavirus Outbreaks on People Who Use Drugs: A Systematic Review to Inform Practice and Drug Policy Responses to COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 8470
Author(s):  
Alison Munro ◽  
Hazel Booth ◽  
Nicola M. Gray ◽  
Joan Love ◽  
Andrea R. M. Mohan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Weight Of Evidence ◽  
People Who Use Drugs ◽  
Sexual Minority Men ◽  
Low Threshold ◽  
Minority Men ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Impact

People who use drugs (PWUD) experience many social and health harms and are considered at greater risk of acquiring COVID-19. Little research has examined the impact of coronaviruses either on PWUD, or on services targeted to PWUD. We report the findings of a systematic review of empirical evidence from studies which have examined the impact of coronaviruses (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-1) and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and COVID-19) on PWUD or on service responses to them. Five databases were searched (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ASSIA and EMBASE) as well as COVID-19 specific databases. Inclusion criteria were studies reporting any impact of SARS, MERS or COVID-19 or any service responses to those, published between January 2000 and October 2020. Weight of Evidence judgements and quality assessment were undertaken. In total, 27 primary studies were included and grouped by seven main themes: treatment/recovery services; emergency medical settings; low-threshold services; prison setting, PWUD/substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis; people with SUD and HIV; ‘Sexual minority’ men. Overall, research in the area was scant, and of average/poor quality. More robust research is required to inform on-going and future responses to coronavirus epidemics for PWUD.

scholarly journals Diverse psychotropic substances detected in drug and drug administration equipment samples submitted to drug checking services in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 2019–April 2020

2022 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristy M. Scarfone ◽  
Nazlee Maghsoudi ◽  
Karen McDonald ◽  
Cristiana Stefan ◽  
Daniel R. Beriault ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Administration ◽  
Synthetic Cannabinoids ◽  
Drug Market ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
People Who Use Drugs ◽  
High Potency ◽  
Psychotropic Substances ◽  
Market Monitoring ◽  
Drug Checking

Abstract Background The overdose crisis has generated innovative harm reduction and drug market monitoring strategies. In Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a multi-site drug checking service (DCS) pilot project was launched in October 2019. The project provides people who use drugs with information on the chemical composition of their substances, thereby increasing their capacity to make more informed decisions about their drug use and avoid overdose. DCS also provides real-time market monitoring to identify trends in the unregulated drug supply. Methods Sample data were obtained through analyses of drug and used drug administration equipment samples submitted anonymously and free of charge to DCS in downtown Toronto from October 10, 2019, to April 9, 2020, representing the first six months of DCS implementation. Analyses were conducted in clinical laboratories using liquid chromatography- and/or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS, GC–MS) techniques. Results Overall, 555 samples were submitted, with 49% (271) of samples that were found to contain high-potency opioids, of which 87% (235) also contained stimulants. Benzodiazepine-type drugs were found in 21% (116) of all samples, and synthetic cannabinoids in 1% (7) of all samples. Negative effects (including overdose, adverse health events, and extreme sedation) were reported for 11% (59) of samples submitted for analysis. Conclusions Toronto’s DCS identified a range of high-potency opioids with stimulants, benzodiazepine-type drugs, and a synthetic cannabinoid, AMB-FUBINACA. This information can inform a range of evidence-informed overdose prevention efforts.

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