Home > Addressing the syndemic of HIV, hepatitis c, overdose, and COVID-19 among people who use drugs: the potential roles for decriminalization and safe supply.

Bonn, Matthew and Palayew, Adam and Bartlett, Sofia and Brothers, Thomas D and Touesnard, Natasha and Tyndall, Mark (2020) Addressing the syndemic of HIV, hepatitis c, overdose, and COVID-19 among people who use drugs: the potential roles for decriminalization and safe supply. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 81, (5), pp. 556-560. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2020.81.556.

External website: https://www.jsad.com/doi/abs/10.15288/jsad.2020.81...

People who use drugs (PWUD) face concurrent public health emergencies from overdoses, HIV, hepatitis C, and COVID-19, leading to an unprecedented syndemic. Responses to PWUD that go beyond treatment--such as decriminalization and providing a safe supply of pharmaceutical-grade drugs--could reduce impacts of this syndemic. Solutions already implemented for COVID-19, such as emergency safe-supply prescribing and providing housing to people experiencing homelessness, must be sustained once COVID-19 is contained. This pandemic is not only a public health crisis but also a chance to develop and maintain equitable and sustainable solutions to the harms associated with the criminalization of drug use.

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