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Injection of Methamphetamine Has Increased in Boston Massachusetts: 5 Waves of CDC State Surveillance Data
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2023
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Source: J Addict Med. 17(3):349-352
[PDF-118.37 KB]
Details:
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Alternative Title:J Addict Med
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Personal Author:
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Description:Objectives:
In the US, the number of overdose deaths related to opioids in combination with stimulants has increased, however the Northeast has typically been less impacted by stimulant overdose. Injection drug use (IDU) results in high mortality from overdose and infectious disease and there are racial disparities observed in overdose death rates. We examined trends in stimulant and opioid IDU, including trends stratified by race, using five waves of cross-sectional state surveillance data.
Methods:
Data came from the CDC’s National HIV Behavioral Surveillance system Boston, Massachusetts site which includes five waves of data (2005–2018) among adults in the Boston metropolitan area reporting IDU (N=2,550). Outcome measures were type of substance injected in the past 12 months (heroin, prescription opioids, “speedball”, cocaine, crack, and/or methamphetamine).
Results:
Participants were 70% male, 58% non-Hispanic white, and injected a mean of 3 different drugs in the past 12 months. From 2015–2018 there was an over 2-fold increase in injection of methamphetamine (15% vs. 38%; p<0.001), a pattern which held across racial groups. Combination heroin and methamphetamine injection increased from 2015 (15%) to 2018 (35%) (p<0.001). Multiple drug injection (injecting >1 drug) increased significantly across years compared to single drug injection (p=0.03).
Conclusions:
Findings suggest that increased use of methamphetamine and opioids extends to Boston. There is an urgent need for enhanced screening of methamphetamine use among those using opioids and increased access and payor coverage of efficacious treatments for stimulant and opioid use disorders (e.g., contingency management and medication treatment for opioid use disorder).
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Source:
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Pubmed ID:37267188
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Pubmed Central ID:PMC10149569
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Funding:
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Volume:17
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Issue:3
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