International Journal of Drug Policy This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Fentanyl self-testing outside supervised injection settings to prevent opioid overdose: Do we know enough to promote it?
Since 2013, North America has experienced a sharp increase in unintentional fatal overdoses: fentanyl, and its analogues, are believed to be primarily responsible. Currently, the most practical means for people who use drugs (PWUD) to avoid or mitigate risk of fentanyl-related overdose is to use drugs in the presence of someone who is in possession of, and experienced using, naloxone. Self-test strips which detect fentanyl, and some of its analogues, have been developed for off-label use allowing PWUD to test their drugs prior to consumption. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - May 11, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Catherine R. McGowan, Magdalena Harris, Lucy Platt, Vivian Hope, Tim Rhodes Tags: Commentary Source Type: research

Measuring individual-level needle and syringe coverage among people who inject drugs in Myanmar
Myanmar has prioritised people who inject drugs (PWID) as a key population for HIV mitigation efforts, with targets for needle and syringe distribution set at a population level. However, individual-level coverage, defined as the percentage of an individual ’s injecting episodes covered by a sterile syringe, is a more sensitive measure of intervention coverage. We sought to examine individual-level coverage in a sample of PWID in Myanmar. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - May 10, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Daniel O ’Keefe, Soe Moe Aung, Naanki Pasricha, Thu Wun, Soe Khaing Linn, Nay Lin, Campbell Aitken, Chad Hughes, Paul Dietze Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Opioid-related mortality in rural America: Geographic heterogeneity and intervention strategies
Over the last two decades, opioid-related mortality rates have increased dramatically to become a serious public health concern in the United States. Opioid-related mortality has reached epidemic levels in certain rural areas of the U.S., such as Appalachia, New England, and the Mountain West, while remaining relatively low in others, such as the Delta South and Great Plains. Explanations for geographic variation in opioid mortality are unclear, contributing to ineffective policies and interventions. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - May 10, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Khary K. Rigg, Shannon M. Monnat, Melody N. Chavez Tags: Commentary Source Type: research

Drug consumption rooms: Comparing times, spaces and actors in issues of social acceptability in French public debate
In October 2016, the first French drug consumption room (DCR) opened in Paris. We propose to examine the process through which this issue has been framed as a matter of public concern, after being ignored for almost 20 years. Our analysis of the controversy on DCRs investigates how public conversations on harm reduction evolve according to the time period (from the 1990s to the present), scale of discourse (local vs. national), and involved actors (politicians, professionals, local residents, and drug users). (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - May 10, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Marie Jauffret-Roustide, Isabelle Cailbault Source Type: research

E-cigarette nicotine content and labelling practices in a restricted market: Findings from Ontario, Canada
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are devices that deliver nicotine via an aerosol. The aerosol is produced by heating an enclosed solution which typically contains nicotine and flavouring chemicals dissolved in propylene glycol and/or glycerin (Breland et al., 2017). Although e-cigarettes are likely to pose fewer health risks than combustible tobacco cigarettes – given that they do not contain tobacco and do not combust to produce tobacco smoke (NASEM, 2018) – their overall potential impact on public health remains unclear (Breland et al., 2017). (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - May 4, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Christine D. Czoli, Maciej L. Goniewicz, Mary Palumbo, Christine M. White, David Hammond Tags: Short Report Source Type: research

The role of alcohol in constructing gender & class identities among young women in the age of social media
Research suggests young women view drinking as a pleasurable aspect of their social lives but that they face challenges in engaging in a traditionally ‘masculine’ behaviour whilst maintaining a desirable ‘femininity’. Social network sites such as Facebook make socialising visible to a wide audience. This paper explores how young people discuss young women’s drinking practices, and how young women construct their identities through alcoho l consumption and its display on social media. We conducted 21 friendship-based focus groups (both mixed and single sex) with young adults aged 18–29 years and 13 individual in...
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - May 4, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Jemma Lennox, Carol Emslie, Helen Sweeting, Antonia Lyons Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Overlap between harm reduction and HIV service utilisation among PWID in India: Implications for HIV combination prevention
In some regions, HIV incidence is rising among people who inject drugs (PWID). Combination prevention approaches are well suited to PWID who face multiple sources of HIV risk. This analysis investigates patterns of utilisation to basic HIV services (HIV counselling and testing [HCT], antiretroviral therapy [ART]) as well as harm reduction programs (needle and syringe exchange programs [NSEP] and opioid agonist therapy [OAT]) among PWID and how utilisation of harm reduction services is associated with HIV-related care seeking behaviours. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - May 4, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: M. Kumi Smith, Sunil S. Solomon, Derek A.T. Cummings, Aylur K. Srikrishnan, M. Suresh Kumar, C.K. Vasudevan, Allison M. McFall, Gregory M. Lucas, David D. Celentano, Shruti H. Mehta Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Corrigendum to “The extent of and factors associated with self-reported overdose and self-reported receipt of naloxone among people who inject drugs (PWID) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland” [Int. J. Drug Policy 46 (2017) 34–40]
The authors regret during preparation of the both of the tables presented in this paper, data with different geographic categories to those used in the analysis was accidentally included in the rows reporting the regional data. The rest of the data in Table 1 was unaffected. In Table 2, there was a related error affecting the final three columns and as a result there have also been some minor changes to the odds ratios reported in the other rows of this table. These issues do not affect the study findings or the text. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - May 4, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Charlotte O ’Halloran, Katelyn Cullen, Jaquelyn Njoroge, Lucy Jessop, Josie Smith, Vivian Hope, Fortune Ncube Tags: Corrigendum Source Type: research

A qualitative exploration of Thai alcohol policy in regulating availability and access
This study aims to explore, through the perspectives of key public health stakeholders, the current performance of regulations controlling alcohol availability and access, and the future directions for the implementation of Thai alcohol policy. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - May 3, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Ratchakorn Kaewpramkusol, Kate Senior, Richard Chenhall, Sutham Nanthamongkolchai, Surasak Chaiyasong Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

The impact of drug policy liberalisation on willingness to seek help for problem drug use: A comparison of 20 countries
While the impact of changing drug policies on rates of drug use has been investigated, research into how help-seeking behaviour changes as drug policies become more public-health focused is limited. This paper investigates reported changes in confidence to utilise drug services following hypothetical changes in national drug policy among a sample of individuals who report recent illicit drug use. We predict that liberalising national drug policy will increase the propensity for people who take illegal drugs to utilise health services. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - May 3, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Isabella Benfer, Renee Zahnow, Monica J. Barratt, Larissa Maier, Adam Winstock, Jason Ferris Source Type: research

Sexualised drug use: LGTB communities and beyond
This themed collection of the International Journal of Drug Policy draws together current knowledge and provides a critical analysis of sexualised drug use in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities, and beyond. It highlights gaps in current research and challenges our current thinking on the influence of socio-cultural norms on sexualised drug use, typologies and measures for chemsex, and mental health deficit models. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - May 1, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Monica Desai, Adam Bourne, Vivian Hope, Perry N Halkitis Source Type: research

A response to Pienaar et al (2018) ‘Problematizing LGBTIQ drug use, governing sexuality and gender: A critical analysis of LGBTIQ health policy in Australia’
We write in response to Piennar et al, ‘Problematising LGBTIQ drug use, governing sexuality and gender: A critical analysis of LGBTIQ health policy in Australia’. As leaders of the organisations under scrutiny in this article (namely ACON, VAC and the National LGBTI Health Alliance (the Alliance), we wish to express concern regarding the analysis reported by Piennar et al, which we feel is deficient on a number of fronts. This has resulted in a misrepresentation of our organisation’s positions and approaches to addressing alcohol and other drug use, which we seek to rectify in this response. (Source: International Jo...
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - May 1, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Simon Ruth, Nic Parkhill, Rebecca Reynolds Source Type: research

Editorial Board
(Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - May 1, 2018 Category: Addiction Source Type: research

Interventions to increase testing, linkage to care and treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among people in prisons: A systematic review
While the burden of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is significantly higher among people in prisons compared to the general population, testing and treatment uptake remain suboptimal. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to increase HCV testing, linkage to care and treatment uptake among people in prisons. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - April 28, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Nadine Kronfli, Blake Linthwaite, Fiona Kouyoumdjian, Marina B. Klein, Bertrand Lebouch é, Giada Sebastiani, Joseph Cox Source Type: research

Stigma at every turn: Health services experiences among people who inject drugs
People who inject drugs (PWID) encounter varying forms of stigma in health services contexts, which can contribute to adverse outcomes. We explored the lived experience of stigma among PWID to elucidate pathways by which stigma influences health care access and utilization. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - April 28, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Catherine E. Paquette, Jennifer L. Syvertsen, Robin A. Pollini Tags: Research paper Source Type: research