Impact of safer supply programs on injection practices: client and provider experiences in Ontario, Canada

Table 1 Client characteristics (n = 52)

	Number (n)	Percentage (%)
Program site
Safer supply program 1	21	40.4
Safer supply program 2	15	28.8
Safer supply program 3	11	21.2
Safer supply program 4	5	9.6
Age (mean, range)	46.6	22–62
Gender^a
Man	29	55.8
Woman	23	44.2
Indigenous^b
No	42	80.8
Yes, First Nation	8	15.4
Yes, Metis	2	3.8
Race^b
White	41	78.8
Indigenous	9	17.3
Black	1	1.9
Latino	1	1.9
Housing (past year)
Renting an apartment, house or condo	18	34.6
Staying with friends, family or partner	13	25.0
Staying at a shelter	7	13.5
Renting a room by the night/week/month	6	11.5
Homeless^c	3	5.8
Owning an apartment, house or condo	2	3.8
Living in supportive or transitional group housing	2	3.8
Living in a long-term care facility	1	1.9
Income source (past year)
Social assistance	51	98.1
Paid job	9	17.3
Other illegal activities	6	11.5
Other government program	5	9.6
Sex work	3	5.8
Jail or prison
Ever	45	86.5
Past year	3	5.8
HIV
Positive diagnosis	7	13.5
Currently taking medications	7	13.5
Undetectable viral load	7	13.5
HCV
Positive diagnosis	40	76.9
HCV medication
Yes, finished the treatment	20	38.5
No, never	19	36.5
Yes, currently	1	1.9
Previous engagement with addiction treatment
Methadone	45	86.5
Detox	17	32.7
Live-in treatment program/facility	28	53.8
Buprenorphine	22	42.3
Outpatient	17	32.7
Treatment in jail	3	5.8
Engagement with opioid-agonist therapy (OAT)^d
No, not currently	36	69.2
Yes, currently	12	23.1
No, never	2	3.8

^aAll clients self-identified as cisgender
^bClients were asked to self-identify using a two-part question about ethnicity and race based on guidance provided by the Ontario Government (2016). Clients were first asked if they identified as indigenous, that is First Nations, Inuit or Metis. Then, they were asked to select which race category best described them. For example, a person who identified as Indigenous could self-report they were a different race category, e.g., white, and participants who did not identify as part of an Indigenous group in Canada could select Indigenous for their race, e.g., from an Indigenous group in another country
^cHomelessness was defined as living on the street, abandoned building, tent/encampment, car/vehicle, outside
^dData are missing from two participants

ISSN: 1477-7517