ArticleSubstance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy2025
Perceived impacts of North Americas first de-medicalized safer supply program.
Article in Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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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.
The trial behind it
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
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Trends in fentanyl-containing drug samples seized by law enforcement agencies across Canada.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2026Article
- The power of people who use drugs as mass media influencers in changing public opinion during the global overdose epidemic.Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy · 2026Article
- The association between benzodiazepine proliferation in the unregulated drug supply and experiences of violence: A gender-based analysis.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2026Article
- A major stakeholder in the lobbying efforts: the role of people who use drugs in the past and the current opioid crisis.BMC public health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe Drug User Liberation Front led an evaluation of a non-medicalized model of safer supply known as a "Compassion Club." This club sourced, rigorously tested, packaged, and accurately labeled certain illicit substances and then provided them to club members at cost in order to investigate the effects and feasibility of a non-medical model of safer supply. Operating for 14 months, the club provided low-cost, quality-controlled illicit substances to individuals at risk of fatal overdose in Vancouver, Canada's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood. This study was undertaken to explore perceived impacts of the Compassion Club among its participants, as well as their perceptions regarding how the Club could be improved.
methodsAt the one-year time point of club operations 43 participants from the club's membership completed an interviewer-administered survey which is utilized in this cross sectional analysis. Descriptive statistics were employed to assess the perceived influence of club membership on various factors, including drug use patterns, harm reduction practices, financial outcomes, housing stability, and overall well-being.
resultsApplicable responses reported benefits from membership in the Compassion Club, including reduced drug use (64.3%), decreased reliance on illicit markets (86.7%), lowered risk of overdose (90.0%), and increased likelihood of using sterile equipment (84.6%). Mental health (74.2%), physical health (63.3%), and overall well-being (70.0%) were also noted improvements. Suggestions for club improvement included extended operating hours, broader substance selection, and improved accessibility.
conclusionThe reported reductions in drug use and improved adherence to harm reduction practices described herein underscore the perceived benefits of this unique program. Compassion Clubs represent a distinct strategy to mitigate overdose risk and enhance the well-being of drug users. These insights advance ongoing dialogues on overdose prevention strategies, urging further research to refine non-medicalized approaches within the evolving landscape of interventions.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.