Increased drug use and the timing of social assistance receipt among people who use illicit drugs

Transition from First Drug Use to Regular Injection among People Who Inject Drugs in Iran

Background: The study aimed to evaluate the interval between first drug use and regular injection and factors associated with transition from first injection into premature regular injection among people who inject drugs (PWIDs).Methods: In a multicenter cross-sectional study, we recruited 400 PWIDs using snowball sampling. Age of first drug use, age of initiation of regular injection, and demo...

Managing tuberculosis in people who use and inject illicit drugs.

Evidence-Based Prevention Interventions for People Who Use Illicit Drugs

The World Drug Report of 2012 [1] reports that, globally, illicit drug use is a common occurrence and is a growing health problem in some regions. Global reporting estimates indicate that approximately 230 million people or 5% of the global adult population have used illicit drugs. While somewhat stable use is ongoing in developed countries, resource-limited settings are seeing the growth and e...

Denial of pain medication by health care providers predicts in-hospital illicit drug use among individuals who use illicit drugs

BACKGROUND Undertreated pain is common among people who use illicit drugs (PWUD), and can often reflect the reluctance of health care providers to provide pain medication to individuals with substance use disorders. OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between having ever been denied pain medication by a health care provider and having ever reported using illicit drugs in hospital. MET...

Articulating Connections between the Harm-Reduction Paradigm and the Marginalisation of People Who Use Illicit Drugs

In this paper, we argue for the importance of unsettling dominant narratives in the current terrain of harm-reduction policy, practice and research. To accomplish this, we trace the historical developments regarding the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and harm-reduction policies and practice. We argue that multiple historical junctures rather than single causes o...