Dynamics of drug overdose in the 20th and 21st centuries: The exponential curve was not inevitable, and continued increases are preventable

Keyes, Katherine M.; Cerdá, Magdalena

doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103675

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 65 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In the European Union, for example, 880 types of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are currently being monitored, including 224 variations of cannabinoids, 162 cathinones, 73 opioids, and 33 benzodiazepines [ 3 ]. In North America, the emergence of fentanyl(s) in the opioid market has precipitated the ‘fourth wave’ of an overdose crisis [ 1 , 5 ]. In some areas of Canada, up to 96% of expected opioid samples contain fentanyl or its analogues [ 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

“It would really support the wider harm reduction agenda across the board”: A qualitative study of the potential impacts of drug checking service delivery in Scotland

Falzon,

Parkes,

Carver

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Drug checking services (DCS) enable individuals to voluntarily submit a small amount of a substance for analysis, providing information about the content of the substance along with tailored harm reduction support and advice. There is some evidence suggesting that DCS may lead to behaviour and system change, with impacts for people who use drugs, staff and services, and public health structures. The evidence base is still relatively nascent, however, and several evidence gaps persist. This paper reports on qualitative interviews with forty-three participants across three Scottish cities where the implementation of community-based DCS is being planned. Participants were drawn from three groups: professional participants; people with experience of drug use; and affected family members. Findings focus on perceived harm reduction impacts of DCS delivery in Scotland, with participants highlighting the potential for drug checking to impact a number of key groups including: individual service users; harm reduction services and staff; drug market monitoring structures and networks; and wider groups of people who use and sell drugs, in shaping their interactions with the drug market. Whilst continued evaluation of individual health behaviour outcomes is crucial to building the evidence base for DCS, the findings highlight the importance of extending evaluation beyond these outcomes. This would include evaluation of processes such as: information sharing across a range of parties; engagement with harm reduction and treatment services; knowledge building; and increased drug literacy. These broader dynamics may be particularly important for evaluations of community-based DCS serving individuals at higher-risk, given the complex relationship between information provision and health behaviour change which may be mediated by mental and physical health, stigma, criminalisation and the risk environment. This paper is of international relevance and adds to existing literature on the potential impact of DCS on individuals, organisations, and public health structures.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Global drug markets are increasingly complex and pose risk of drug-related harms to people who use drugs [1][2][3][4][5][6][7], although risk and volatility can vary substantially across regions. This dynamic is, in part, driven by the proliferation in number, type, and availability of 'novel' drugs [3,8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%