ArticlePublic health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974)
The Impact of Benzodiazepine Use on Mortality Among Polysubstance Users in Vancouver, Canada.
Article in Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974). The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- "I Know So Many Women That Have the Same Story as Mine": Exploring How the Increase of Benzodiazepines in the Unregulated Drug Supply Shapes Experiences of Gender-Based Violence Among Women and Gender Minorities in Vancouver, BC.Contemporary drug problems · 2026Article
- Ecological momentary assessment study of same-hour polysubstance use among people who use opioids and additional substances.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2025Article
- "I don't want to die": a qualitative study of coping strategies to prevent fentanyl-related overdose deaths among people who inject drugs and its implications for harm reduction policies.Harm reduction journal · 2023Article
- Mortality in the SuperMIX cohort of people who inject drugs in Melbourne, Australia: a prospective observational study.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2022Observational
- Towards cross-Canada monitoring of the unregulated street drug supply.BMC public health · 2021Article
- Increasing availability of benzodiazepines among people who inject drugs in a Canadian setting.Substance abuse · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveIllicit drug use is a well-established risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality. However, little is known about the impact of benzodiazepine use on mortality among populations of polysubstance users. This study aimed to identify the effect of benzodiazepine use on mortality among a prospective cohort of people in Canada who inject drugs (PWID).
methodsA cohort of PWID in Vancouver, Canada, was prospectively followed from May 1996 through November 2013. Data on participants were linked to the provincial vital statistics registry to ascertain mortality rates and causes of death. Multivariable extended Cox regression with time-dependent variables was used to investigate the relationship between benzodiazepine use and time to all-cause mortality.
resultsDuring the study period, 2,802 participants were followed for a median of 67 months (interquartile range: 25-107). In total, 527 (18.8%) participants died, for an incidence density of mortality of 2.9 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.7, 3.2) deaths per 100 person-years. After adjusting for HIV infection and other potential confounders, benzodiazepine use was independently associated with increased all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.86, 95% CI 1.38, 2.51) and had a higher risk for mortality than all other traditional substances of abuse among this population. Results were consistent when non-overdose mortality was considered.
conclusionIn this setting, benzodiazepine use was more strongly associated with mortality than any other substance of abuse. Greater recognition of the safety concerns related to benzodiazepines and strategies to prevent diversion to illicit use are needed.
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