Articles

Use of the femoral vein ('groin injecting') by a sample of needle exchange clients in Bristol, UK

Use of the femoral vein for intravenous access by injecting drug users (IDUs) (commonly called 'groin injecting') is a practice that is often observed but on which little is written in the literature. The purp...

Authors: John Maliphant and Jenny Scott

A review of HIV prevention among young injecting drug users: A guide for researchers

Young people aged 15–24 years account for fifty percent of all new AIDS cases worldwide. Moreover, half of all new HIV infections are associated with injection drug use. The average age for initiation into inj...

Authors: Kate A Dolan and Heather Niven

Efficacy of acupuncture for cocaine dependence: a systematic review & meta-analysis

Acupuncture is a commonly used treatment option for the treatment of addictions such as alcohol, nicotine and drug dependence. We systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the randomized controlled trials of a...

Authors: Edward J Mills, Ping Wu, Joel Gagnier and Jon O Ebbert

Witch-hunt

Beginning two years ago, the US Dept of Health and Human Services began "special reviews" of all current research grants that involved harm reduction, sex and drugs, and continues its ban on funding of needle ...

Authors: Ernest Drucker

Initiation to heroin injecting among heroin users in Sydney, Australia: cross sectional survey

Heroin injection is associated with health and social problems including hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission. Few studies have examined the circumstances surrounding initiation to heroin injecting, especially...

Authors: Carolyn A Day, Joanne Ross, Paul Dietze and Kate Dolan

The epidemiology of college alcohol and gambling policies

This article reports the first national assessment of patterns of drinking and gambling-related rulemaking on college campuses (e.g., punitive versus recovery oriented). Analyses relating school policies to kn...

Authors: Howard J Shaffer, Anthony N Donato, Richard A LaBrie, Rachel C Kidman and Debi A LaPlante

"Tied together like a woven hat:" Protective pathways to Alaska native sobriety

The People Awakening Project (1RO1 AA 11446-03) had two purposes, completed in Phase I and Phase II of the project. The purpose of Phase I was to complete a qualitative study; the research objective was discov...

Authors: Gerald V Mohatt, S Michelle Rasmus, Lisa Thomas, James Allen, Kelly Hazel and Chase Hensel

Methodology for evaluating Insite: Canada's first medically supervised safer injection facility for injection drug users

Many Canadian cities are experiencing ongoing infectious disease and overdose epidemics among injection drug users (IDUs). In particular, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and hepatitis C Virus (HCV) have bec...

Authors: Evan Wood, Thomas Kerr, Elisa Lloyd-Smith, Chris Buchner, David C Marsh, Julio SG Montaner and Mark W Tyndall

How do drug users define their progress in harm reduction programs? Qualitative research to develop user-generated outcomes

Harm reduction is a relatively new and controversial model for treating drug users, with little formal research on its operation and effectiveness. In order to advance the study of harm reduction programs and ...

Authors: Terry Ruefli and Susan J Rogers

Does harm reduction programming make a difference in the lives of highly marginalized, at-risk drug users?

Harm reduction is a controversial model for treating drug users, with little formal research available on its operation and effectiveness. In order to advance the field, we first conducted participatory resear...

Authors: Susan J Rogers and Terry Ruefli

A comprehensive system of pharmaceutical care for drug misusers

This article outlines the evolution of a community pharmacy-based supervised consumption of methadone program in Grater Glasgow. The formalization of this program in 1994 promoted full patient compliance with ...

Authors: Kay Roberts and Carole Hunter

Substance use during pregnancy: time for policy to catch up with research

The phenomenon of substance abuse during pregnancy has fostered much controversy, specifically regarding treatment vs. punishment. Should the pregnant mother who engages in substance abuse be viewed as a crimi...

Authors: Barry M Lester, Lynne Andreozzi and Lindsey Appiah

Assessing and improving needle exchange programs: gaps and problems in the literature

Based on an extensive review of the needle exchange program (NEP) literature, the author sought to identify weaknesses in NEP evaluations published to date. Surprisingly, it was apparent that NEP researchers o...

Authors: Kate Ksobiech

Substance abuse and pharmacy practice: what the community pharmacist needs to know about drug abuse and dependence

Pharmacists, the most accessible of health care professionals, are well positioned to help prevent and treat substance use disorders and should prepare themselves to perform these functions. New research impro...

Authors: Anthony C Tommasello

Return Rates for Needle Exchange Programs: A Common Criticism Answered

This study searched the available needle exchange program (NEP) literature for return rate data. A total of 26 articles were found. The overall worldwide return rate was 90%, although this ranged from a low of...

Authors: Kate Ksobiech

Harm Reduction Journal

Authors: Ernest Drucker Editor-in-Chief