Most people who are addicted to drugs want to kick the habit and are open to a broad array of services to help them manage their substance use, providing positive and important findings for policy makers.
According to the 2019 Syringe Exchange Health Survey led by UW's Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute and Public Health-Seattle & King County, published on the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute's website, 82 percent of the heroin users and roughly half of methamphetamine users are interested in reducing or stopping their use.
The results of the survey of people who inject illicit drugs in the state of Washington, conducted every two years since 2015, also show that possession of naloxone--a drug that rapidly reverses opioid overdose--has increased substantially.
The survey was conducted among 1,269 participants from most of the more than 30 fixed and mobile syringe services programs in 23 Washington counties.
Researchers found that nearly 80 per cent of respondents in King County and outside the county who use opioids possessed a naloxone kit in 2019, compared to 2015 when only 47 per cent in King County and 24 per cent outside the county possessed naloxone.
"These surveys provide important insights into the complex lives of people who use drugs in our state and can be used to inform our health care, public health, social service, public policy and criminal legal system responses, particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic," said study co-author Caleb Banta-Green, principal research scientist at the institute.
Syringe service programs are designed to reduce harm by preventing the transmission of deadly diseases. They provide a broad spectrum of services, such as access to new syringes and injection equipment, wound care, overdose prevention information and substance use disorder treatment.
During the COVID-19 crisis, syringe exchanges continue to operate across Washington State, although programs have had to substantially modify how they deliver services, including distributing pre-packaged supplies, moving outdoors and providing mobile and delivery services.
Another important finding in the survey, Banta-Green pointed out, is that 68 percent of participants who have been diagnosed with hepatitis C remain untreated and were interested in treatment for that disease, which is good news since hepatitis C can be cured with a three-month course of medication.
"We are honoured to work with our syringe-services partners across Washington state to better understand how we can best serve people who use drugs," said Banta-Green. "It's so important to understand that people are very interested in getting help, and that syringe exchanges provide an incredible array of life-saving services. They also provide ongoing personal relationships with members of our communities who are often in personal crisis and poor health."