“If it wasn’t for them, I don’t think I would be here”: Experiences of the first year of a safer supply program during the dual public health emergencies of COVID-19 and the drug toxicity crisis
Date
2024
Authors
Kolla, Gillian
Pauly, Bernie
Cameron, Fred
Hobbs, Heather
Ranger, Corey
McCall, Jane
Majalahti, Jerry
Toombs, Kim
LeMaistre, Jack
Selfridge, Marion
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Harm Reduction Journal
Abstract
In response to the devastating drug toxicity crisis in Canada driven by an unregulated opioid supply predominantly composed of fentanyl and analogues, safer supply programs have been introduced. These programs provide people using street-acquired opioids with prescribed, pharmaceutical opioids. We use six core components of safer supply programs identified by people who use drugs to explore participant perspectives on the first year of operations of a safer supply program in Victoria, BC, during the dual public health emergencies of COVID-19 and the drug toxicity crisis to examine whether the program met drug-user defined elements of an effective safer supply model.
Description
Keywords
overdose, fentanyl, opioids, prescribed safer supply, safer supply programs, stimulants
Citation
Kolla, G., Pauly, B., Cameron, F., Hobbs, H., Ranger, C., McCall, J., Majalahti, J., Toombs, K., LeMaistre, J., Selfridge, M., & Urbanoski, K. (2024). “If it wasn’t for them, I don’t think I would be here”: experiences of the first year of a safer supply program during the dual public health emergencies of COVID-19 and the drug toxicity crisis. Harm Reduction Journal, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-024-01029-3