Open Collections

UBC Faculty Research and Publications

Addressing the syndemic of HIV, hepatitis C, overdose, and COVID-19 among people who use drugs : the potential roles for decriminalization and safe supply Bonn, Matthew; Palayew, Adam; Bartlett, Sofia; Brothers, Thomas D.; Touesnard, Natasha; Tyndall, Mark

Abstract

People who use drugs (PWUD) face concurrent public health emergencies from overdoses, HIV, hepatitis C, and COVID-19, leading to an unprecedented syndemic. Responses such as decriminalization and providing a safe supply of pharmaceutical-grade drugs, that goes beyond treatment, to PWUD could reduce impacts of this syndemic. Solutions already implemented for COVID-19, such as emergency safe supply prescribing and providing housing to people experiencing homelessness, must be sustained once COVID-19 is contained. This pandemic is a catastrophe, but is also a chance to develop and maintain equitable and sustainable solutions to the harms associated with the criminalization of drug use.

Item Metadata

Title
Addressing the syndemic of HIV, hepatitis C, overdose, and COVID-19 among people who use drugs : the potential roles for decriminalization and safe supply
Alternate Title
Addressing the syndemic : potential roles for decriminalization and safe supply
Creator
Bonn, Matthew; Palayew, Adam; Bartlett, Sofia; Brothers, Thomas D.; Touesnard, Natasha; Tyndall, Mark
Publisher
Alcohol Research
Date Issued
2020-10-09
Description
People who use drugs (PWUD) face concurrent public health emergencies from overdoses, HIV, hepatitis C, and COVID-19, leading to an unprecedented syndemic. Responses such as decriminalization and providing a safe supply of pharmaceutical-grade drugs, that goes beyond treatment, to PWUD could reduce impacts of this syndemic. Solutions already implemented for COVID-19, such as emergency safe supply prescribing and providing housing to people experiencing homelessness, must be sustained once COVID-19 is contained. This pandemic is a catastrophe, but is also a chance to develop and maintain equitable and sustainable solutions to the harms associated with the criminalization of drug use.
Genre
Article; Postprint
Type
Text
Language
eng
Date Available
2021-10-09
Provider
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
DOI
10.14288/1.0396709
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/2429/77790
Affiliation
Medicine, Faculty of; Non UBC; Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Department of; Population and Public Health (SPPH), School of
Citation
Bonn M, Palayew A, Bartlett S, Brothers TD, Touesnard N & Tyndall M. (2020). Addressing the Syndemic of HIV, Hepatitis C, Overdose, and COVID-19 Among People Who Use Drugs: The Potential Roles for Decriminalization and Safe Supply. Journal of Studies on Alcohol & Drugs, 81(5), 556-560.
Publisher DOI
10.15288/jsad.2020.81.556
Peer Review Status
Reviewed
Scholarly Level
Faculty; Researcher; Postdoctoral; Graduate; Other
Rights URI
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Aggregated Source Repository
DSpace

Item Media

Item Citations and Data

Rights

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International