Police seizure of drugs without arrest among people who use drugs in Vancouver, Canada, before provincial ‘decriminalization’ of simple possession: a cohort study

Table 2 Bivariable and multivariable generalized estimating equations analyses of factors associated with police seizure of drugs without arrest among people who used drugs daily in Vancouver, Canada, 2019–2021 (n = 995)

Characteristic	Odds ratio
Characteristic	Unadjusted (95% CI)	P-value	Adjusted (95% CI)	P-value
Year of interview (2021 vs. 2019–2020)	1.10 (0.67–1.79)	0.708	–
Age (per year older)	0.97 (0.95–0.99)	< 0.001	0.97 (0.94–0.99)	0.008
Self-identified as white	1.35 (0.80–2.28)	0.267	–
Self-identified as a man^a	1.68 (0.97–2.91)	0.066	1.98 (1.10–3.56)	0.023
≥ Daily unregulated opioids use^a,b	2.83 (1.51–5.30)	0.001	–
≥ Daily unregulated stimulants use^a,c	2.22 (1.30–3.81)	0.004	–
≥ Daily cannabis use^a	0.49 (0.27–0.91)	0.025	–
Opioid withdrawal^a	2.37 (1.37–4.11)	0.002	–
Always/usually injected drugs in public places^a	3.34 (1.80–6.18)	< 0.001	–
Non-fatal overdose^a	2.07 (1.23–3.47)	0.006	–
Administered naloxone to someone^a	2.89 (1.71–4.89)	< 0.001	2.15 (1.23–3.76)	0.007
Homeless^a	3.10 (1.85–5.20)	< 0.001	1.98 (1.09–3.61)	0.026
Sex work^a	1.60 (0.83–3.08)	0.161	–
Working in the unregulated drug market^a	5.86 (3.50–9.78)	< 0.001	4.93 (2.87–8.49)	< 0.001
Street-based income generation^a	1.67 (1.02–2.74)	0.041	–
Incarceration^a	10.59 (6.09–18.41)	< 0.001	–
Inability to access health and/or social services^a	1.94 (1.14–3.32)	0.015	–

CI: Confidence interval
^aRefers to behaviours and events in the 6 months prior to an interview
^bUnregulated opioids include heroin, fentanyl, down, speedball, or goofball
^cUnregulated stimulants include crystal methamphetamine, powder/crack cocaine, speedball, or goofball

ISSN: 1477-7517