An urgent impetus for action
Safe inhalation interventions to reduce Covid-19 transmission and fatality risk among people who smoke crack cocaine in the United Kingdom
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 14906559 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Magdalena Harris (0000-0001-8718-8226, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 83 |
| Pages | 102829 |
| Publication date | 2020-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Drug Policy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0955-3959 • E-ISSN: 1873-4758 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102829 |
| PMID | 32595070 |
| OpenAlex | W3036865790 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 11 |
| References cited | 27 |
Crack cocaine use is rising in the United Kingdom (UK), with smoking the primary form of administration. Provision of safe inhalation equipment for crack cocaine is prohibited under UK law. Pipes used for crack cocaine smoking are often homemade and/or in short supply, exacerbating COVID-19 transmission and respiratory risk. This is of concern, given high prevalence of respiratory health harms such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among people who smoke illegal drugs. This commentary draws on scoping review and mixed method empirical evidence to argue for provision of safe crack inhalation equipment in the UK, with commensurate legal reform. Review of crack inhalation interventions illustrates the health protective and service engagement benefits of smoking equipment supply. Survey data generated with 455 people who inject drugs in London illustrate high prevalence of current crack use (66%, n=299). Qualitative accounts illustrate perceptions of relative smoking safety - alongside accounts of severe respiratory-related health harms. To date, injecting drug use has been of primary concern in relation to harm reduction initiatives. It is crucial that people who smoke illegal drugs are considered a vulnerable population in regard to COVID 19 transmission and fatality risk, with innovative harm reduction measures scaled up in response
2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Action (physics · Business · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Crack cocaine · Environmental health · Infectious disease (medical specialty · Inhalation · Pandemic · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 · Smoke · Smoke inhalation · Transmission (telecommunications · Waste management · Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research · Engineering · Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis · Medicine · Opioid Use Disorder Treatment · Internal Medicine · Virology
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| Unique citing works | 11 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,83 |
| Citation span | 2020 - 2026 (7) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 11 |