Impact of Safe Consumption Facilities on Individual and Community Outcomes: A Scoping Review of the Past Decade of Research

Scoping review
by
Dow-Fleisner, Sarah J., Arielle Lomness & Lucía Woolgar

Release Date

2022

Geography

International

Language of Resource

English

Full Text Available

Yes

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

Yes

Peer Reviewed

Yes

Objective

This scoping review examined the impact and effectiveness of safe consumption facilities (SCFs) related to: 1) individual outcomes for people who inject drugs; 2) community outcomes associated with SCFs; and 3) the cost-effectiveness of SCFs.

Findings/Key points

Findings indicate that SCFs were associated with reducing drug use related infection and disease transmission, enhancing access to addiction and other health services, reducing the risk of non-fatal overdoses, and were not associated with a significant increase in drug use, an increased rate of drug-related crime. Both qualitative and quantitative research support SCFs as a cost-effective approach to harm reduction for people who inject drugs with positive community outcomes as well.

Design/methods

Scoping review (24 articles included)

Keywords

SCS/OPS
Social benefits
About PWUD
Harm reduction