Abstract
Background: Needle and syringe programmes (NSPs) have been shown to reduce HIV risk among people who inject drugs (IDUs). However, concerns remain that NSPs delay injecting cessation. Methods: Individuals reporting injection drug use in the past six months in the greater Vancouver area were enrolled in the Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study (VIDUS). Annual estimates of the proportion of IDU reporting injecting cessation were generated. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) analysis was used to assess factors associated with injecting cessation during a period of NSP expansion. Results: Between May 1996 and December 2010, the number of NSP sites in Vancouver increased from 1 to 29 (P<0.001). The estimated proportion of participants (n=2710) reporting cessation increased from 2.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.0-7.0%) in 1996 to 47.9% (95% CI: 46.8-48.9%) in 2010 (P<0.001). In a multivariate GEE analysis, the authors observed an association between increasing calendar year and increased likelihood of injecting cessation (Adjusted Odds Ratio=1.17, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.19, P<0.001). Conclusion: The proportion of IDU reporting injecting cessation increased during a period of NSP expansion, implying that increased NSP availability did not delay injection cessation. These results should help inform community decisions on whether to implement NSPs.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 535-540 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Drug and Alcohol Dependence |
| Volume | 132 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 1 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:All authors had full access to all data and have read and approved the text as submitted to AIDS. DW and EW performed initial analyses and drafted the manuscript. TK, JB, CR, and JM all contributed substantially to methodological issues and manuscript revisions. DW is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. TK and JS are supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. The authors thank the study participants for their contribution to the research, as well as current and past researchers and staff. We would specifically like to thank Deborah Graham, Peter Vann, Caitlin Johnston, Steve Kain, and Calvin Lai for their research and administrative assistance.
Funding Information:
All authors declare that (1) no authors have support from any companies for the submitted work; (2) no authors have relationships with companies that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous 3 years; (3) their spouses, partners, or children have no financial relationships that may be relevant to the submitted work; and (4) DW, TK, JB, JS, CR, and EW have no non-financial interests that may be relevant to the submitted work. JM has received grants from, served as an ad hoc adviser to, or spoken at events sponsored by Abbott, Argos Therapeutics, Bioject Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim, BMS, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Hoffmann-La Roche, Janssen-Ortho, Merck Frosst, Panacos, Pfizer Ltd., Schering, Serono Inc., TheraTechnologies, Tibotec (J&J), and Trimeris.
Funding Information:
The study was supported by the US National Institutes of Health ( R01DA011591 , R01DA021525 ) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research ( MOP-79297 ).
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Toxicology
- Pharmacology
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Pharmacology (medical)
