Substance use policy and practice in the Covid-19 pandemic

Learning from early pandemic responses through internationally comparative field data

Bibliographic Data

ID15540751
AuthorsShoshana V Aronowitz (0000-0003-2169-9562, University of Pennsylvania), Jennifer J Carroll (0000-0001-5711-7419, North Carolina State University), H Hansen (0000-0003-0569-1392, University of California, Los Angeles), Marie Jauffret-Roustide (0000-0001-8563-5395, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Marie Jauffret‐roustide (0000-0002-8353-0888), Caroline Mary Parker (0000-0002-0817-2494, University of Manchester, corresponding author), Selena Suhail-Sindhu (University of California, Los Angeles), Carmen E Albizu-Garcia (0000-0001-5069-2402, University of Puerto Rico System), Margarita Alegria (0000-0003-2241-707X, Massachusetts General Hospital), Jaimie Arrendondo, Alex Baldacchino (0000-0002-5388-7376, University of St Andrews), Ricky N Bluthenthal (0000-0003-3491-1702, University of Southern California), P Bourgois (0000-0002-1600-233X, University of California, Los Angeles), J Burraway (0000-0003-4470-6577, EarthTech International (United States)), Jia-Shin Chen (0000-0002-8521-677X, Minghsin University of Science and Technology), Hamed Ekhtiari (0000-0001-6902-8798, Laureate Institute for Brain Research), Hussien Elkholy (0000-0003-2132-6336, Ain Shams University), Ali Farhoudian (0000-0002-8784-522X, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences), Joseph Friedman (0000-0002-5225-3267, University of California, Los Angeles), Ayana Jordan (0000-0002-7850-8096, Yale University), Lindsey Kato (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), Kelly Ray Knight (0000-0002-5838-8592, University of California, San Francisco), Carlos Ruiz Martínez (0000-0001-6596-2807, University of California, Berkeley), Robert Mcneil (0000-0001-9555-7693, Yale University), Hayley Murray (0000-0002-5899-0778, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Sarah Namirembe (0000-0002-4968-2247), Seyed Ramin Radfar (0000-0003-1673-6154, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences), Laura Roe (0000-0001-8240-8939, University of St Andrews), Anya Sarang (Federal Agency for Health and Social Development), C Scherz (0000-0002-5562-8538, University of Virginia), Joe Tay Wee Teck (MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit), Lauren Textor (0000-0003-1242-2967, University of California, Los Angeles), Khuat Thi Hai Oanh (0000-0001-6427-0577, Center for Environment and Community Assets Development)
Year2022
Volume17
Issue12
Pages3654-3669
Publication date2022-12-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGlobal Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1744-1692 • E-ISSN: 1744-1706
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17441692.2022.2129720
OpenAlexW4317867017
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited42

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented natural experiment in drug policy, treatment delivery, and harm reduction strategies by exposing wide variation in public health infrastructures and social safety nets around the world. Using qualitative data including ethnographic methods, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews with people who use drugs (PWUD) and Delphi-method with experts from field sites spanning 13 different countries, this paper compares national responses to substance use during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Field data was collected by the Substance Use x COVID-19 (SU x COVID) Data Collaborative, an international network of social scientists, public health scientists, and community health practitioners convened to identify and contextualise health service delivery models and social protections that influence the health and wellbeing of PWUD during COVID-19. Findings suggest that countries with stronger social welfare systems pre-COVID introduced durable interventions targeting structural drivers of health. Countries with fragmented social service infrastructures implemented temporary initiatives for PWUD led by non-governmental organisations. The paper summarises the most successful early pandemic responses seen across countries and ends by calling for greater systemic investments in social protections for PWUD, diversion away from criminal-legal systems toward health interventions, and integrated harm reduction, treatment and recovery supports for PWUD

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental health · Harm · Harm reduction · Infectious disease (medical specialty · Pandemic · Political science · Psychological intervention · Public health · Public relations · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Law · Medicine · Nursing · Opioid Use Disorder Treatment · Health Policy

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