"It wasn't here, and now it is. It's everywhere": fentanyl's rising presence in Oregon's drug supply.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Illicit fentanyl has contributed to a drastic increase in overdose drug deaths. While fentanyl has subsumed the drug supply in the Northeastern and Midwestern USA, it has more recently reached the Western USA. For this study, we explored perspectives of people who use drugs (PWUD) on the changing drug supply in Oregon, experiences of and response to fentanyl-involved overdose, and recommendations from PWUD to reduce overdose risk within the context of illicit fentanyl's dramatic increase in the recreational drug supply over the past decade.

Methods

We conducted in-depth interviews by phone with 34 PWUD in Oregon from May to June of 2021. We used thematic analysis to analyze transcripts and construct themes.

Results

PWUD knew about fentanyl, expressed concer

SUBMITTER: Shin SS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9275036 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature