Transcript Safer & Unsafe Practices of Injection Drug Users in Nova Scotia

Social Relationships and
Harm Reduction Practice
among Injection Drug Users in Nova Scotia
Joanne Parker
CPHA 2008 Annual
Conference
Halifax, NS
June 1-4, 2008
Injection Drug Users in
Communities Across Atlantic
Canada (ICAC)
• CIHR-funded, 3 year project
• Atlantic Advisory Committee
•Social relationships
•Safer and unsafe practices
•Urban and rural Atlantic
Canada
The ICAC Research Team
(IDUs in Communities across Atlantic Canada)
Investigators:
Lois Jackson, Dalhousie University
(Principal Investigator)
Margaret Dykeman, UNB
Jacqueline Gahagan, Dalhousie
University
Jeff Karabanow, Dalhousie University
Collaborators:
Mainline Needle Exchange
Sharp Advice Needle Exchange
AIDS Committee of Newfoundland and
Labrador
AIDS Saint John
AIDS New Brunswick
SIDA/AIDS Moncton
AIDS PEI
Ethics and Limitations
• Confidentiality
• Limited sample
Data Collection: Nova Scotia
In partnership with:
• Mainline (Halifax and
mainland NS)
• Sharp Advice Needle
Exchange (Cape
Breton)
Participants
• 38 interviews in rural and
urban NS
• 12 in Halifax, 7 in Sydney,
19 in smaller
communities
• 23 male; 15 female
• Age 18-59
• Length of time injecting –
broad range
Participants
Highest Level of Education Completed
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Grade 6
Grade 9
Some high Completed Some post- Completed
school
high school secondary
postsecondary
* ”Some High School” includes 2 current students
** Post-secondary = university or trade school
Participants
Income Sources
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Social
Assistance
Informal
Economy
Family/partner
support
None
* Social Assistance includes Income Support, Disability, Pension and Worker’s Compensation
* Informal economy includes panhandling, stealing, sex trade work, selling drugs
Helpful Relationships
• Peer support
• Needle exchange
Interviewer: Do you have any non-IV-using friends?
“I have other people that come to the house to use and get gear. So I like having
Participant:
“Yes,
at the
exchange]
that,
know,
if I needed
clean gear all
theI’ve
timegot
in people
the house,
in [needle
case people
do drop
by”.you
[32Male].
to talk to someone… they don’t judge you. They don’t do nothing to you. They are
the only ones I’ve got anyways”. [41-Female]
Harmful/less safe relationships
• Reliance on
other users
[What
“You might
would share
happen
[paraphernalia]
if you insistedby
ondoing
usingayour
wash.
own
You
gear?]
know,
you’re
up for
dope.
hard
toand
get you
“You
might
nothard
get hit…
You
takeYou
whatare
you
canup
get
something
you,
and
someone
is to
notinsult
going
to give
don’t
be too into
picky.
You
are
not going
someone,
you some,
you
play with their
spoon
right?
If theybut
arethey’ll
givinglet
you
something,
you are
not where
going to
they
cooked
it up
in”.Female]
[17- Male]
be,
you
know…”
[15-
Harmful/less safe relationships
• Stigma and
social
exclusion
“I would never ever go to the Needle Exchange or nothing like that
just in case people lurking, the way they look at you - you know, a
needle user”. [30-Male]
For more information visit: www.med.mun.ca/airn/pages/research.htm
Final thoughts…
Joanne Parker
Research Coordinator
[email protected]
902-494-7061