IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i2p1648-d1037912.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

I Don’t Believe a Person Has to Die When Trying to Get High: Overdose Prevention and Response Strategies in Rural Illinois

Author

Listed:
  • Suzan M. Walters

    (Department of Epidemiology, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
    Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, New York, NY 10003, USA)

  • Marisa Felsher

    (College of Population Health, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA)

  • David Frank

    (Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, New York, NY 10003, USA
    Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA)

  • Jessica Jaiswal

    (Department of Health Science, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA)

  • Tarlise Townsend

    (Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
    This author passed away.)

  • Brandon Muncan

    (Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA)

  • Alex S. Bennett

    (Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, New York, NY 10003, USA
    Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA)

  • Samuel R. Friedman

    (Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, New York, NY 10003, USA
    Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA)

  • Wiley Jenkins

    (Department of Population Science and Policy, SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62702, USA)

  • Mai T. Pho

    (Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA)

  • Scott Fletcher

    (The Community Action Place, Murphysboro, IL 62966, USA)

  • Danielle C. Ompad

    (Department of Epidemiology, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
    Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, New York, NY 10003, USA)

Abstract

Background: Overdose is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among people who inject drugs. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is now a major driver of opioid overdose deaths. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 participants (19 persons who inject drugs and 4 service providers) from rural southern Illinois. Data were analyzed using constant comparison and theoretical sampling methods. Results: Participants were concerned about the growing presence of fentanyl in both opioids and stimulants, and many disclosed overdose experiences. Strategies participants reported using to lower overdose risk included purchasing drugs from trusted sellers and modifying drug use practices by partially injecting and/or changing the route of transmission. Approximately half of persons who inject drugs sampled had heard of fentanyl test strips, however fentanyl test strip use was low. To reverse overdoses, participants reported using cold water baths. Use of naloxone to reverse overdose was low. Barriers to naloxone access and use included fear of arrest and opioid withdrawal. Conclusions: People who inject drugs understood fentanyl to be a potential contaminant in their drug supply and actively engaged in harm reduction techniques to try to prevent overdose. Interventions to increase harm reduction education and information about and access to fentanyl test strips and naloxone would be beneficial.

Suggested Citation

  • Suzan M. Walters & Marisa Felsher & David Frank & Jessica Jaiswal & Tarlise Townsend & Brandon Muncan & Alex S. Bennett & Samuel R. Friedman & Wiley Jenkins & Mai T. Pho & Scott Fletcher & Danielle C., 2023. "I Don’t Believe a Person Has to Die When Trying to Get High: Overdose Prevention and Response Strategies in Rural Illinois," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-14, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:2:p:1648-:d:1037912
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/2/1648/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/2/1648/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Colleen McLuckie & Mai T. Pho & Kaitlin Ellis & Livia Navon & Kelly Walblay & Wiley D. Jenkins & Christofer Rodriguez & Marynia A. Kolak & Yen-Tyng Chen & John A. Schneider & Whitney E. Zahnd, 2019. "Identifying Areas with Disproportionate Local Health Department Services Relative to Opioid Overdose, HIV and Hepatitis C Diagnosis Rates: A Study of Rural Illinois," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-14, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lin, Qinyun & Kolak, Marynia & Watts, Beth & Anselin, Luc & Pollack, Harold & Schneider, John & Taylor, Bruce, 2022. "Individual, interpersonal, and neighborhood measures associated with opioid use stigma: Evidence from a nationally representative survey," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:2:p:1648-:d:1037912. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.