INTRODUCTION AND AIMS:
Crack
pipe sharing is a risky practice that has been associated with the transmission
of hepatitis C and other harms. While previous research has exclusively focused
on this phenomenon among adults, this study examines crack pipe sharing among
street-involved youth.
DESIGN AND METHODS:
From
May 2006 to May 2012, data were collected from the At-Risk Youth Study, a
cohort of street-involved youth aged 14-26 in Vancouver, Canada. Survey data
from active crack smokers were analysed using generalised estimating equations
logistic regression.
RESULTS:
Over the
study period, 567 youth reported smoking crack cocaine and contributed 1288
observations, among which 961 (75%) included a report of crack pipe sharing. In
multivariate analysis, factors that were associated with crack pipe sharing
included difficulty accessing crack pipes; homelessness; regular employment; daily
non-injection crystal methamphetamine use; daily
crack smoking; encounters with the police; and reporting unprotected sex.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:
The
prevalence of crack pipe sharing was high among our sample and independently
associated with structural factors including difficulty accessing crack pipes
and homelessness. Crack pipe sharing was also associated with high-intensity
drug use and a number of other markers of risk and vulnerability.
Collectively, these findings highlight opportunities for health services to better engage with this vulnerable group
and reduce this risky behaviour.
- 1British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada.
- Drug Alcohol Rev. 2015 May;34(3):259-66. doi: 10.1111/dar.12180. Epub 2014 Jul 25.
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