ArticleSubstance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy2021
Examining prevalence and correlates of smoking opioids in British Columbia: opioids are more often smoked than injected.
Article in Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 58 citations in OpenAlex.
- The utilization and delivery of safer smoking practices and services: a narrative synthesis of the literature.Harm reduction journal · 2023Pooled it
- Persistent effects of repeated adolescent and adult heroin vapor inhalation in female Wistar rats.Psychopharmacology · 2026Article
- Multilevel drivers and constraints of shifts from injecting to smoking opioids and stimulants: A qualitative study from the San Diego-Tijuana border region.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2026Article
- Access to health and harm reduction services during drug decriminalization in British Columbia, Canada: a mixed-method study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Integration of safer smoking equipment in U.S. syringe services programs: Qualitative insights from program staff.The International journal on drug policy · 2026Article
- A qualitative study exploring motives for the transition from injecting to smoking drugs in Vancouver, British Columbia.The International journal on drug policy · 2025Article
- Responding to an evolving crisis: Meeting the needs of a growing population who smoke their unregulated substances.Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2025Article
- Defining terminology and outcome measures for evaluating overdose response technology: An international Delphi study.Drug and alcohol review · 2025Article
- Resident and staff experiences of structural barriers to a housing-based overdose prevention site in Vancouver, Canada: "There is a double standard if you smoke".Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2025Article
- Facilitating access to supervised smoking facilities: a qualitative study.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Implementation determinants of safer smoking supplies in U.S. syringe services programs.Implementation science communications · 2025Article
- Association of safer smoking supply distribution with participant encounters and naloxone distribution from syringe services programs: Findings from the National Survey of Syringe Services Programs in the United States.Drug and alcohol dependence reports · 2025Article
- Using illicit drugs alone in Vancouver, Canada: a gender-based analysis.Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy · 2025Article
- Beyond the 5-year recovery mark: Perspectives of researchers with lived and living experience on public engagement and discourse.The International journal on drug policy · 2024Article
- Validation of a sampling method and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analysis method for measurement of fentanyl and five other illicit drugs.Annals of work exposures and health · 2024Article
- North America's fentanyl death crisis: Selected lessons for Europe's future?Nordisk alkohol- & narkotikatidskrift : NAT · 2024Article
- Perspectives of key interest groups regarding supervised Consumption sites (SCS) and novel virtual harm reduction services / overdose response hotlines and applications: a qualitative Canadian study.Harm reduction journal · 2024Article
- Changes in injecting versus smoking heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine among people who inject drugs in San Diego, California, 2020-2023.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2024Article
- Physiologic oxygen responses to smoking opioids: an observational study using continuous pulse oximetry at overdose prevention services in British Columbia, Canada.Harm reduction journal · 2024Observational
- A qualitative study on perceptions and experiences of overdose among people who smoke drugs in Vancouver, British Columbia.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBritish Columbia (BC) is in the midst of an opioid overdose crisis. Since 2017, smoking illicit drugs has been the leading mode of drug administration causing overdose death. Yet, little is known about people who smoke opioids, and factors underlying choice of mode of administration. The study objectives are to identify the prevalence and correlates associated with smoking opioids.
methodsThe Harm Reduction Client Survey is a monitoring tool used by the BC Centre for Disease Control since 2012. This survey is disseminated to harm reduction sites across BC to understand drug use trends and drug-related harms. We examined data from the survey administered October-December 2019 and performed descriptive, univariate, and multivariate analyses to better understand factors associated with smoking opioids.
resultsA total of 369 people who used opioids in the past 3 days were included, of whom 251 (68.0%) reported smoking opioids. A total of 109 (29.5%) respondents experienced an overdose in the past 6 months; of these 79 (72.5%) smoked opioids. Factors significantly associated with smoking opioids were: living in a small community (AOR =2.41, CI =1.27-4.58), being a woman (AOR = 1.84, CI = 1.03-3.30), age under 30 (AOR = 5.41, CI = 2.19-13.40) or 30-39 (AOR = 2.77, CI = 1.33-5.78) compared to age ≥ 50, using drugs alone (AOR = 2.98, CI = 1.30-6.83), and owning a take-home naloxone kit (AOR = 2.01, CI = 1.08-3.72). Reported use of methamphetamines within the past 3 days was strongly associated with smoking opioids (AOR = 6.48, CI = 3.51-11.96).
conclusionsOur findings highlight important correlates associated with smoking opioids, particularly the recent use of methamphetamines. These findings identify actions to better respond to the overdose crisis, such as targeted harm reduction approaches, educating on safer smoking, advocating for consumption sites where people can smoke drugs, and providing a regulated supply of opioids that can be smoked.
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