Citation

Reed M, Wagner KD, Tran NK, Brady KA, Shinefeld J, Roth A. Int. J. Drug Policy 2019; 73: 32-35.

Affiliation

Drexel University, Dornsife School of Public Health, Department of Community Health and Prevention, 3215 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.07.010

PMID

31336291

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Overdose prevention programs are effective at reducing opioid overdose deaths through training people who inject drugs (PWID) how to respond to witnessed overdoses and use naloxone. This report examines prevalence and correlates of carrying naloxone among a community-based sample of PWID.

METHODS: Using respondent driven sampling, PWID (n = 571) in Philadelphia, PA were recruited for the 2015 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance project. The impact of socio-demographics, social services, and law enforcement interaction on naloxone carrying were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS: Odds of carrying naloxone were higher among PWID who were: homeless (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01, 2.83), reported a syringe exchange program as their primary source of syringes (aOR = 2.92, CI: 1.68, 5.09), and had been stopped by police ≥6 times (aOR = 2.16, CI: 1.12, 4.16) or arrested (aOR = 1.84, CI: 1.02, 3.30) in the past year.

CONCLUSIONS: Syringe exchange access was associated with naloxone carrying and is likely a primary source for naloxone and overdose reversal training for PWID. Homelessness and law enforcement encounters are known barriers to harm reducing behaviors; however, both were positively associated with carrying naloxone in this sample. Larger studies are needed to explore these relationships in greater depth.

Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Homelessness; Naloxone; Opioid overdose; People who inject drugs; Policing; Syringe exchange program