Loaded: Gun involvement among opioid users

Abstract

Opioid users, both men and women, lead gun-involved lives.

Reported firearm access among patients admitted to a dual diagnosis medically-assisted withdrawal unit over five years

“…Within this sample, we found no differences in firearm access according to particular admission diagnosis. This is in contrast to a past study of patients undergoing medication-assisted withdrawal which showed higher rates of firearm involvement for those undergoing opioid detoxification compared to those undergoing alcohol detoxification (33.9% vs. 31.4%, respectively) ( Stein et al., 2018 ). The reasons for this remain unclear.…”

“…This study provides a rare look into firearm access rates among patients with substance use disorders, particularly within the inpatient detoxification setting. While a previous study asked patients undergoing detoxification about gun ownership or access within the last year ( Stein et al., 2018 ), we believe ours is the first to assess patients undergoing detoxification for current access to a firearm. We found that employing standard suicidal screening procedures in detoxification settings can yield high rates of completed clinical documentation for firearm access, providing more accurate figures for this important suicide and violence risk factor in this high-risk group.…”

“…keeping gun in the home, carrying gun for protection, gun playing a role in arrests, being wounded by gunshot, etc.) among primary opioid users than among primary alcohol users, with similar rates of gun ownership or access rates (34% and 31%, respectively) ( Stein et al., 2018 ).…”

The Opioid Epidemic and Homicide in the United States

“…Another study found striking levels of gun involvement in a sample of opioid abusers enrolled in a detoxification program. Compared with alcohol abusers, the opioid abusers were significantly more likely to have been threatened with a gun (45 percent v. 26 percent), carried a gun for protection (31 percent v. 4 percent), and shot at another person (14 percent v. 2 percent) (Stein et al 2018).…”