In Canada, approximately 150 000 youth live on the street. Street-involvement and homelessness have been associated with various health risks, including increased substance use, blood-borne infections sexually transmitted diseases. We undertook a qualitative study to better understand social structural barriers street-involved who use illicit drugs encounter when seeking housing. conducted 38 semi-structured interviews in Vancouver, Canada from May October 2008. Interviewees were recruited...

Abstract Background Street-involved youth are a population at risk of adopting injection as route administration, and preventing the transition to drug use among street represents public health priority. In order inform epidemiological research prevention efforts, we conducted qualitative study investigate initiation street-involved in Vancouver, Canada. Methods Qualitative interviews with who inject drugs elicited descriptions adoption administration. Interviewees were recruited from...

Injection drug use is associated with HIV and hepatitis C transmission, overdose, other preventable harms. These harms are heightened for structurally vulnerable injection drug-using populations, as their social conditions pose barriers to safer injecting. Previous research on cessation has largely focused adult populations. Little qualitative work examined the social, structural, environmental factors that shape periods of among youth young adults. Such essential understanding how we can...

Background Cannabis is one of the most widely used substances among vulnerable young people (<26 years age) experiencing street entrenchment. Although previous research has documented role cannabis can play in harm reduction, substance use and mental health treatment pain management, this predominantly been quantitative focused on adult drug-using populations. Little qualitative work examined how who drugs understand, experience, engage with context entrenchment drug trajectories that...

Across North America, overlapping overdose and COVID-19 emergencies have had a substantial impact on young people who use drugs (YPWUD). New risk mitigation guidance (RMG) prescribing practices were introduced in British Columbia, Canada, 2020 to allow decrease of withdrawal better self-isolate. We examined how the hydromorphone tablets specifically impacted YPWUD's substance care trajectories. Between April July 2021, we conducted virtual interviews with 30 YPWUD accessed an RMG...

Abstract Background Unsafe injection practices are prevalent among drug users (IDU) and have resulted in numerous forms of drug-related harm including HIV/HCV transmission other bacterial viral infections. North America's first supervised facility (SIF) was established Vancouver order to address injection-related harms IDU. This study sought examine users' experiences receiving safer injecting education the context a SIF. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 50...

The objective of this study was to identify how cannabis use features within the sexual lives young minority men who substances, and might intersect with their contemporary socio-cultural contexts in a setting where non-medical recently legalised: Vancouver, Canada. Forty-one ages 15 30 years were recruited between January December 2018 participate in-depth, semi-structured 1-2 h interviews about experiences using substances (e.g. cannabis) for sex. Drawing on constant comparative analytic...

North America is in the midst of an overdose crisis that having devastating effects among street entrenched youth (<30 years age). Opioid agonist therapy (OAT) a cornerstone public health response to this crisis; yet, we struggle connect OAT across numerous settings. This qualitative study examined perspectives on and their providers Vancouver, Canada. Our findings reveal youth's hopes fears surrounding making "full" recovery from past substance use. Youth often equated getting off opioids...

Abstract Background There is growing interest in describing the broader risk trajectories experienced by young people who use drugs - that is, sequences of drug transitions youth relation to evolving understandings and harm. This study sought examine people's perspectives regarding evolution their context a local scene Vancouver, Canada. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews with 38 individuals recruited from cohort users known as At-risk Youth Study (ARYS) were supplemented ongoing...

Illicit drug use and homelessness among street-involved young people remain community public health concerns, in part because of their association with ‘public disorder’, as well increased encounters between youth, police, the criminal justice system, associated health-related harms. In imagination, illicit use, homelessness, police (including incarceration) are often understood problems rooted individual biographies. general, there has been a lack attention to larger historical,...

This study explores the opportunities and challenges of fostering social support across street-involved young people's mental health substance use (MHSU) treatment trajectories. We conducted in-depth interviews with youth their providers between 2017 2021. Findings demonstrate that family others could be crucial catalysts for initiating reengaging in MHSU among youth. However, many reported not receiving enough assistance from service navigating complex relationships family, friends,...

Abstract Drawing on eight years of ethnographic research in Vancouver’s inner city, we explore how aligned processes gentrification and poverty management are producing new geographies homelessness, addiction, social control for young people who use drugs inhabit the social, spatial, economic margins urban space. In particular, examine emergence government‐subsidized supportive housing youth this setting. Tracing experiences a small number individuals across time, show contemporary mode...

Abstract Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is increasingly standard practice for critical qualitative health with young people who use(d) drugs in Vancouver, Canada. One aim of CBPR this context to redress the essentialization, erasure, and exploitation research. In paper, we reflect on a partnership that began 2018 between three university researchers roughly ten (ages 17–28) have current or past experience drug use homelessness Greater Vancouver. We focus moments when our...

In our field sites and clinical practice in East Africa, we regularly encounter men who have become overwhelmed by "thinking too many thoughts" "gone crazy from confusion," brought about the problems of life created deepening social, economic political precarity. Across diverse settings, African continue to be enmeshed social material obligations expectations that position them as consumers providers for those they care love. When these gendered obligations, fantasies are left unfulfilled,...