The Law (and Politics) of Safe Injection Facilities in the United States

Beletsky, Leo; Davis, Corey S.; Anderson, Evan D.; Burris, Scott

doi:10.2105/ajph.2006.103747

Cited by 59 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 60 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Currently, the only public SIF in North America is located in Vancouver, Canada and offers services for young people who inject drugs (Hadland et al, 2014). Implementation of SIFs in the US is currently prohibited by the Controlled Substances Act (Beletsky, Davis, Anderson, & Burris, 2008). …”

Section: Harm Reduction For Extra-medical Prescription Opioid Usersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harm reduction for young people who use prescription opioids extra-medically: Obstacles and opportunities

Marshall

Green

Yedinak

et al. 2016

International Journal of Drug Policy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Extra-medical prescription opioid (EMPO) use—intentional use without a prescription or outside of prescribed parameters—is a public health crisis in the United States and around the world. Epidemiological evidence suggests that the prevalence of EMPO use and adverse sequelae, including opioid overdose and hepatitis C infection, are elevated among people aged 18 to 25. Despite these preventable health risks, many harm reduction interventions are underutilized by, or inaccessible to, EMPO-using youth. In this commentary, we describe key harm reduction strategies for young people who use prescription opioids. We examine individual, social, and policy-level barriers to the implementation of evidence-based approaches that address EMPO use and related harms among young people. We highlight the need for expanded services and new interventions to engage this diverse and heterogeneous at-risk population. A combination of medical, social, and structural harm reduction interventions are recommended. Furthermore, research to inform strategies that mitigate particularly high-risk practices (e.g., polysubstance use) is warranted. Finally, we discuss how the meaningful involvement of youth in the implementation of harm reduction strategies is a critical component of the public health response to the prescription opioid epidemic.

show abstract

Section: Harm Reduction For Extra-medical Prescription Opioid Usersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harm reduction for young people who use prescription opioids extra-medically: Obstacles and opportunities

Marshall

Green

Yedinak

et al. 2016

International Journal of Drug Policy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Peer outreach has proved an effective intervention modality for veterans in some contexts, and when conducted by those with first-hand experiences of opioid (mis)use, stands to aid in destigmatizing treatment-seeking and connecting socially marginalized veterans to services, including methadone and buprenorphine treatment and harm reduction programs (Bennett, Elliott, & Golub, 2015; Bennett, Pouget, & Golub, 2015). Increasing evidence also indicates that people who use heroin assume much less risk of overdose when injecting in safe consumption sites where they can be monitored by trained staff after using opioids (Kerr et al, 2004; Kimber et al, 2005; Beletsky et al,. 2008; Hathaway & Tousaw, 2008).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opioid-Involved Overdose Among Male Afghanistan/Iraq-Era U.S. Military Veterans: A Multidimensional Perspective

Bennett

Elliott

Golub

et al. 2017

Substance Use & Misuse

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Mirroring nationwide trends in a broad range of U.S. populations, an alarming number of Afghanistan/Iraq-era U.S. Military veterans have experienced opioid-related overdoses. A growing body of research has examined the proximal behaviors that can precipitate an overdose; considerably less is known about more distal physiological, psychosocial and structural influences on these risk behaviors. Objectives This study adopts a multidimensional approach to better understand opioid-related overdose among U.S. Military veterans, and seeks to explore not only the proximal behavioral precipitants of overdose events, but also the complex nexus of physiological, psychological, and sociological influences that undergird overdose events. Methods This qualitative examination is based on interview data from 36 male veterans who were discharged from the military after September 2001 and experienced at least one opioid-related overdose during or after military service. Participants were recruited in New York City during 2014 to share narrative accounts of their overdoses. Results Veterans’ accounts indicate that background experiences, such as self-medication for social and psychological pain, trauma, social alienation and isolation, and histories of illicit drug use, precondition the more immediate factors and behaviors that precipitate overdose (including bingeing on drugs, mixing drugs, naiveté about dosage, and ambivalence about life/death). Conclusions Findings suggest the need for comprehensive drug safety and overdose education that is sensitive to veterans’ physiological, psychological, and sociological conditions. A multidimensional understanding of the distal and proximal overdose risks faced by veterans and other vulnerable groups may help lay a foundation for more inclusive/holistic approaches to overdose prevention and education.

show abstract

“…40 A review of the legal framework in the United States concluded that states and municipalities have some authority to regulate safe injection facilities, but federal agencies could supervene under the Controlled Substances Act. 41 Local public health activists have investigated the establishment of safe injection facilities in San Francisco and New York City. 42 There are no official facilities in the United States, but anecdotally, some agencies do informally provide safer environments for drug injection.…”

Section: Beyond Insitementioning

confidence: 99%