Syringe services program staff and participant perspectives on changing drug consumption behaviors in response to xylazine adulteration.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Xylazine is an increasingly common adulterant in the North American unregulated drug supply that is associated with adverse health outcomes (e.g., skin infections, overdose). However, there are significant knowledge gaps regarding how xylazine was initially identified and how syringe services program (SSP) staff and clients (people who use drugs) responded to its emergence.

Methods

From June-July 2023, we conducted qualitative interviews with medical (e.g., clinicians) and frontline SSP staff (e.g., outreach workers) and adult clients with a history of injection drug use at a Miami-based SSP. Inductive memos identified emergent codes; thematic analysis involving team consensus established final themes.

Results

From interviews with SSP staff (n = 8) and clie

SUBMITTER: Eger WH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11363649 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature