Citation

Kennedy MC, Milloy MJ, Markwick N, McNeil R, Dong H, Wood E, Kerr T. Int. J. Drug Policy 2015; 28: 124-127.

Affiliation

British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 1Y6; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 1Y6. Electronic address: uhri-tk@cfenet.ubc.ca.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugpo.2015.11.004

PMID

26708944

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Private security guards are increasingly regulating public space, including areas within urban drug scenes. We examined the prevalence and correlates of encounters with security guards among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Vancouver, Canada.

METHODS: Data were derived from two prospective cohort studies of PWID collected between December 2005 and May 2014. We used multivariable generalized estimating equations to identify factors associated with reporting encounters with private security guards.

RESULTS: Among 1714 participants, 616 (35.9%) reported encounters with security guards over the study period. In multivariable analyses, factors independently and positively associated with security guard encounters included: unstable housing (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.27); daily non-injection crack use (AOR=1.35); daily methamphetamine use (AOR=1.40); street-based income generation (AOR=1.58); incarceration (AOR=1.45); experiencing violence (AOR=1.90); non-fatal overdose (AOR=1.31); syringe sharing (AOR=1.45); public injection (AOR=1.68); and inability to access addiction treatment (AOR=1.60) (all p<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Security guard exposure was independently associated with various measures of vulnerability and drug-related harm. These findings highlight the need for regulatory reforms and broader structural interventions to reduce harm among PWID in this setting.

Language: en