Table. 1 Characteristics of people who use drugs who witnessed an overdose in Vancouver, British Columbia, between 2014 and 2018 (n = 540)
Characteristic | Total (%) (n = 540) | Called EMS (%) (n = 284, 53%) | Did not call EMS (%) (n = 256, 47%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Age | |||
 Median (IQR) | 40.4 (28–52) | 42.6 (31–53) | 35.2 (26–52) |
 Per year older |  | – | – |
White (vs. non-white) | 286 (53.0) | 152 (53.5) | 134 (52.3) |
Male (vs. non-male) | 321 (59.4) | 167 (58.8) | 154 (60.2) |
 < Secondary school education | 287 (53.2) | 167 (58.8) | 140 (54.7) |
DTES residencya | 325 (60.2) | 192 (67.6) | 133 (52.0) |
Place of residencea | |||
 Homeless | 130 (24.1) | 66 (23.2) | 64 (25.0) |
 Single room occupancy | 252 (46.7) | 129 (45.4) | 123 (48.1) |
 Other (e.g., apartment, house, no fixed address) | 158 (29.3) | 89 (31.3) | 69 (27.0) |
Ever incarcerated | 464 (85.9) | 250 (88.0) | 214 (83.6) |
Ever had a negative police encounterb | 361 (66.9) | 250 (88.0) | 171 (66.8) |
Ever administered naloxonea | |||
 Did not administer | 273 (50.6) | 129 (45.4) | 144 (56.3) |
 One or two times | 141 (26.1) | 83 (29.2) | 58 (22.7) |
 Three or more | 81 (15.0) | 50 (17.6) | 31 (12.1) |
Witnessed a known person overdoseac | 310 (57.4) | 169 (59.5) | 141 (55.1) |
Ever experienced an overdosea | 387 (71.7) | 206 (72.5) | 181 (70.7) |
Involved in the sex tradead | 71 (13.2) | 40 (14.1) | 31 (12.1) |
Involved in drug dealinga | 141 (26.1) | 77 (27.1) | 64 (25.0) |
 Injection drug use | 243 (45.0) | 136 (47.9) | 107 (41.8) |
 Heroine | 207 (38.3) | 113 (39.8) | 94 (36.7) |
 Stimulants, defined as powder or crack cocaine or crystal methamphetaminee | 200 (37.0) | 110 (38.7) | 90 (35.2) |
 Cannabis | 165 (30.6) | 76 (26.8) | 89 (34.8) |
Post-enactment period | 278 (51.8) | 146 (51.4) | 132 (51.6) |