Publications by authors named "L E Wenger"
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.
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.
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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- SSPs are effective in reducing diseases and preventing overdose among drug users, but they encounter challenges like funding and regulations in the US.
- A study involving 472 organizations found that community-based organizations (CBOs) with government funding excelled in providing essential services like syringe and naloxone distribution compared to public health department (DPH) programs.
- The research suggests that with adequate funding, CBOs can enhance overdose response services and that flexible funding is crucial for addressing community-specific needs.
Background: The Tenderloin Center (TLC), a multi-service center where people could receive or be connected to basic needs, behavioral health care, housing, and medical services, was open in San Francisco for 46 weeks in 2022. Within a week of operation, services expanded to include an overdose prevention site (OPS), also known as safe consumption site. OPSs have operated internationally for over three decades, but government-sanctioned OPSs have only recently been implemented in the United States.
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