Publications by authors named "B H Lambdin"

Article Synopsis
  • The opioid overdose crisis in the USA is worsening due to law enforcement strategies targeting unregulated drug markets, which inadvertently push users towards riskier suppliers and unknown drug potency.
  • A study in Indianapolis showed that neighborhoods suffering from structural racism and economic issues experienced higher rates of non-fatal overdoses, particularly after drug seizures by law enforcement.
  • The research indicates that such seizures can significantly increase the likelihood of subsequent overdoses in the community, suggesting a need for decriminalization and increased support for safer drug use practices.
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Article Synopsis
  • * A survey of 468 PWUD revealed that 74% experienced criminal legal system (CLS) involvement, with 67% having law enforcement stops and 33% facing jail time, particularly among younger, cisgender males, and unstably housed individuals.
  • * Most notably, 77% of those stopped by law enforcement had their drugs seized, and only 13% were aware of the decriminalization, indicating a disconnect between policy changes and PWUD awareness.
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Importance: With the implementation of Measure 110 (M110) in 2021, Oregon became the first US state to decriminalize small amounts of any drug for personal use. To date, no analysis of the association of this law with overdose mortality has fully accounted for the introduction of fentanyl-a substance that is known to drive fatal overdose-to Oregon's unregulated drug market.

Objective: To evaluate whether the decriminalization of drug possession in Oregon was associated with changes in fatal drug overdose rates after accounting for the rapid spread of fentanyl in Oregon's unregulated drug market.

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Objective: Racialized health inequities in substance use-related harms might emerge from differential access to syringe service programs (SSPs). To explore this, we examined the association between county-level racialized environments, other factors, and (1) SSP presence, and (2) per capita syringe and (3) naloxone distribution.

Methods: 2021 US National Survey of SSP data (n=295/412;72 % response rate) was used to identify SSP presence and the sum of syringes and naloxone doses distributed in 2020 by county.

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Syringe Services Programs (SSPs) provide evidence-based services like drug use equipment to prevent infectious disease, overdose prevention education, and naloxone distribution to people who use drugs (PWUD). However, inadequate funding threatens provision of these interventions. This study aimed to document how the current funding landscape impacted determinants of SSP implementation, particularly describing financial and staffing barriers, facilitators, and proposed strategies, using qualitative methods informed by three implementation research frameworks.

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