Impacts of COVID-19 on the health of illicit substance users : Preliminary Analysis from Illicit Drug Transaction Data. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreanne Bergeron
Keyword(s):  
Drug Users ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Short Report ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Substance Users ◽  
Illicit Drug Users ◽  
Transaction Data ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND While much attention has been given to how COVID-19 patients are treated (or fail to be treated), the impact of the pandemic on illicit drug users remains largely undiscussed. The consequences of COVID-19 on substance users and on the health care system are exposed. OBJECTIVE The aim of this short report is to understand the health issues that illicit drug users may be currently facing following the lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS We analysed 262 self-reported submissions of illicit drug transactions on the darkweb. The self-reports include the date of the transaction, the types of illicit drugs bought/sold, and whether the shipment of the illicit drugs succeeded, had issues (ex. unusually long delivery, an error in the type of drug shipped, quantity or concentration of the drug), or failed. RESULTS Between January 1st 2020 and March 21, 2020, deliveries of illicit drug on the darkweb were mostly successful (60% to 100%). Starting on March 21st, the number of shipments that had issues or failed to be delivered increased rapidly and represented a majority of all shipments (79%). CONCLUSIONS The flow of darkweb drugs has been disrupted at the same time as COVID-19 pandemic started to lead to lockdowns. This suggests that the lockdowns could have disrupted the sourcing of illicit drugs, thereby possibly impacting the health of illicit drug users.

PARENTAL DRUG USAGE: EFFECT UPON CHROMOSOMES OF PROGENY

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1971 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 1037-1041
Author(s):  
Kenneth W. Dumars
Keyword(s):  
Drug Users ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Medical Problem ◽  
Clinical State ◽  
Chromosomal Breakage ◽  
Drug Usage ◽  
Illicit Drug Users ◽  
Significant Difference

Illicit drug usage is a serious medical problem. Parental use of LSD and the effect upon the unborn infant is in question. However, parental use of LSD has often prevented acceptance of those children subsequently relinquished for adoption. In this study we reviewed the records and clinical state of over 1,000 consecutive infants who were relinquished for adoption. Clinical and developmental examination was conducted upon 47 and chromosomal karyotyping upon 41/47 infants whose parents were illicit drug users. In comparison with comparable controls we found no statistically significant difference in the incidence of chromosomal breakage or rearrangement. Parental use of illicit drugs does not in itself constitute a valid reason for the refusal to accept or place an infant relinquished for adoption.

scholarly journals The impact of methadone maintenance therapy on hepatitis C incidence among illicit drug users

Addiction ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 109 (12) ◽  
pp. 2053-2059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seonaid Nolan ◽  
Viviane Dias Lima ◽  
Nadia Fairbairn ◽  
Thomas Kerr ◽  
Julio Montaner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Maintenance Therapy ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Methadone Maintenance ◽  
Methadone Maintenance Therapy ◽  
Illicit Drug Users ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals The potential of prisons to support drug recovery

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippa Hearty ◽  
Emma Wincup ◽  
Nat M. J. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Drug Treatment ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Official Policy ◽  
Common Purpose ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Process Evaluations

Purpose – Recovery is the predominant discourse within current UK drug policy, promoted as freedom from dependence. In support of such a policy driver, prison drug recovery wings have been piloted in ten prisons in England and Wales to address high drug prevalence rates in prisoner populations. The purpose of this paper is to explore the development of these specialist wings within the context of wider developments to tackle reoffending among drug-using prisoners. Design/methodology/approach – The first part of the paper offers an analysis of the emergence of the recovery paradigm in the prison context through analysis of official policy documents. The second draws predominantly upon two process evaluations of the drug recovery wings, alongside literature on prison drug treatment. Findings – There is limited empirical evidence to inform the debate about whether prisons can provide settings to facilitate recovery from the effects of illicit drug use. What is available suggests that effective therapeutic environments for recovering drug users could be established within prisons. Key components for these appear to be sufficient numbers of staff who are competent and confident in providing a dual role of support and discipline, and a common purpose of all prisoners committing to recovery from illicit drugs and supporting each other. Further research regarding the impact of drug recovery wings upon health, crime and wider social outcomes is needed. Originality/value – This paper provides an updated perspective on the development of drug treatment in prisons, with a particular focus on the implications of the new recovery paradigm.

scholarly journals Has illicit drug use become normalised in groups of Swedish youth? A latent class analysis of school survey data from 2012 to 2015

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrik Karlsson ◽  
Mats Ekendahl ◽  
Josefin Månsson ◽  
Jonas Raninen
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Latent Class Analysis ◽  
Drug Policy ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Illicit Drug Users ◽  
High Prevalence

Background: It is often assumed that illicit drug use has become normalised in the Western world, as evidenced for example by increased prevalence rates and drug-liberal notions in both socially advantaged and disadvantaged youth populations. There is accumulating research on the characteristics of young illicit drug users from high-prevalence countries, but less is known about the users in countries where use is less common. There is reason to assume that drug users in low-prevalence countries may be more disadvantaged than their counterparts in high-prevalence countries, and that the normalisation thesis perhaps does not apply to the former context. Aim: This article aims to explore to what extent such assertions hold true by studying the characteristics of young illicit drug users in Sweden, where prevalence is low and drug policy centres on zero tolerance. Material and Method: We draw on a subsample ( n = 3374) of lifetime users of illicit drugs from four waves of a nationally representative sample of students in 9th and 11th grade (2012–2015). Latent class analysis (LCA) on ten indicators pertaining to illicit drug use identified four classes which we termed “Marijuana testers”, “Marijuana users”, “Cannabinoid users” and “Polydrug users”. Findings: Indications of social advantage/disadvantage such as peer drug use, early substance-use debut and truancy varied across groups, particularly between “Marijuana testers” (low scores) and “Polydrug users” (high scores). Conclusions: Our findings corroborate the idea that the majority of those who have used illicit drugs in the Swedish youth population have tried marijuana a few times only. We discuss whether or not the comparably large share of socially advantaged “Marijuana testers” in a comparably small sample of lifetime users can be interpreted as a sort of normalisation in a prohibitionist drug policy context.

Prevention of the consumption of illicit drugs from the perspective of families and significant others to illicit drug users

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-222
Author(s):  
Carla Aparecida Arena Ventura ◽  
Marciana Fernandes Moll ◽  
Bruna Sordi Carrara ◽  
Kelly Graziani Giacchero Vedana ◽  
Paulo Sérgio Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Drug Users ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Significant Others ◽  
Illicit Drug Users

Covid-19, county lines and the seriously “left behind”

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 209-213
Author(s):  
John Pitts
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Vulnerable Children ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Illicit Drug Users ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study is to suggest how the Covid-19 lockdown may affect illicit drug users and vulnerable children and young people who become involved in County lines drug dealing. Design/methodology/approach This is an “opinion piece” based on data released by central and local government departments and voluntary sector sources concerning the impact of the Covid-19 restrictions on illicit drug users and vulnerable children and young people. The data is augmented with information from recent discussions with police officers, youth workers and social workers in a London borough. Findings It appears that the Covid-19 restrictions have had, and will continue to have, a deleterious impact upon both illicit drug users and the young people caught up in County lines drug distribution. Originality/value The study’s originality lies in its attempt to use a range of sources to anticipate the consequences of the Covid-19 restrictions on illicit drug users and vulnerable children and young people.

scholarly journals Impact of the policy of drug criminalization in the treatment of illicit drug dependents

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thais Baracal da Cunha ◽  
Sandra Cristina Veiga de Oliveira Santos
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Drug User ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Health Area ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
The Impact

To understand from the perspective of nurses and users of illicit drugs of CAPS Ad the impact of the Brazilian Criminalization Policy on the treatment of chemical dependents. Method: Qualitative research with nurses and users of illicit drugs of CAPS Ad. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, recorded and analyzed by he Content Analysis Technique. Results: The categories that emerged in the nurses' speech were "Criminalization as a controlling and prohibitionist policy"; "Moralism and stigmatization in the health area"; "Criminalization as a hindrance or not of treatment" and in the users speech were "The attentive look in the health area", "Marginalization of the drug user", "Criminalization as difficult or not treatment." Final Considerations: This study made it possible to give voice to illicit drug users and nurses, promoting reflections on prejudice and stigma still present in today's society.

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