Communicating Drug Alerts (CDA) Project

British Columbia’s regional health authorities issue drug alerts to inform people who use substances about contaminated drugs in the community. Over the years, street drugs have become increasingly toxic which has only been worsened with the emergence of COVID-19. Drug markets have become gradually more volatile, resulting in unpredictable and increasingly toxic drug supplies and increasing rates of overdose-related deaths. We are looking to interview people who use substances to improve existing guidelines regarding drug alert communication. We are especially interested in hearing from youth, trades people, people who identify as GLBTQ2S+, and people who identify as South Asian, and how we can make drug alerts more relevant and accessible to these groups.

For more information see:

• CDA Project Overview Infographic
  
• CDA Project Findings Summary (March 31, 2021)

Presentations, posters and reports:

• CDA Project Draft Report (March 31st, 2021)
• Exploring the Communication of Drug Alerts in BC (Poster, IOS Nov 2021)

Media & Language: De-stigmatizing Language around Substance Use & Harm Reduction Reporting

Media contributes to stigmatizing substance use by using stereotypical and harmful images and words to describe people who use substances. These descriptions create a damaging discourse that substance use is a public burden driven by crime and deviance, rather than a public health concern. This project aims to de-stigmatize substance use and harm reduction reporting by encouraging journalists and media professionals to use person-first language and non-stigmatizing images in their reporting.

A rapid evidence literature review was performed and findings discussed by people with lived and living experience of substance use who shared their personal experiences of the impact of stigmatizing language and images in media. No Canadian reporting standards were identified. ​The report includes the review findings, perceptions of people with lived and living experience, and makes recommendations on how to reduce stigma in the media.

• Media and Language Report
• Media and Language Journalism Student Session Feedback
• Media and Language Presentation to Journalism Students (Nov 2020)
• Media and Language Final Report to Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (Jan 2021)

Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act (GSDOA) Project

In May 2017, the Goverment of Canada introduced the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act (GSDOA). The act aims to ensure bystander response by providing legal protection for anyone who is at the scene of an overdose from simple possession (possesions for personal use) of an illegal substance.

The GSDOA evaluation project aims to assess the implementation of the GSDOA and evaluate its effectiveness at increasing bystander response in the event of an overdose by assessing knowledge, attitudes, experiences and intentions regarding the GSDOA in British Columbia.

For more information see:

• Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act Evaluation Project Overview
• A timeline for the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act 
• GSDOA Project Update (March 2021)
• GSDOA Poster (Print Ready)
• GSDOA Wallet Cards (Print Ready)
• GSDOA Quiz: Test your Knowledge 
• A training resource (slide deck): Improving awareness and knowledge around the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act

Reports and Research Summaries 

• Knowledge of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act among Police Officers in BC
• Police attendance following the BCEHS policy to not routinely notify police of overdose events and concerns regarding police attendance
• Summary: GSDOA knowledge, Take Home Naloxone kit and mobile phone ownership among people released from correctional facilities in BC 
• Summary of GSDOA project components (May 2021) 

Publications

• Knowledge of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act and possession of a naloxone kit among people recently released from prison
• Police officers’ knowledge, understanding and implementation of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act in BC, Canada
• Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act awareness among people who use drugs in British Columbia, Canada

Concurrent Use and Transition to Methamphetamine among persons at risk of Overdose (CUT Meth OD)

There has been a big increase in the Methamphetamine (MA) use in British Columbia¹.  Meth use has been associated with health problems and some people who use Meth choose to use it with other drugs like opioids. However, there is limited literature identifying the reasons for MA use on its own or with other substances.

This study, funded by CIHR, will help us understand, (1) why MA use has increased; (2) reasons for MA use with other drugs; (3) perceptions about the benefits and harms of MA use.

The findings from this study will help fill the knowledge gap to better understand the factors associated with MA use, and help to develop effective harm reduction interventions.

For more information see:

• Project Overview (Infographic)
• Study Information Form
• Project Update (May 2021)

Knowledge Translation Resources: 

• Using Crystal Meth with Opioids does not reduce the risk for overdose (Infographic)
• Findings on Party-n-Play in BC (infographic)
• Substances as Social Lubricants: Understanding Party amd Play (Poster, IOS Nov 2021)

Research Summaries:

• Safety beliefs and behaviours; an iterative analytic process (poster - IOS conference)
• Motivations for concurrent use of uppers and downers; a thematic analysis (poster - IOS conference)

Publications:

• Crystal Methamphetamine Use in BC: A Cross-sectional Study of People Who Access Harm Reduction Services (May 2021)

_References

_{1. BC Centre for Disease Control. 2018 BC Harm Reduction Client Survey [Internet]. Vancouver, BC: BC Centre for Disease Control; 2019 May.}