Release Date
Geography
Language of Resource
Full Text Available
Open Access / OK to Reproduce
Peer Reviewed
Objective
From August 2022 until October 2023, the Drug User Liberation Front [DULF] operated a drug compassion club [CC], which sells drugs of known composition and purity without medical oversight. The present study is a qualitative evaluation of this project.
Findings/Key points
The CC appears to be a novel and promising approach to reducing overdose motality in high needs communities. By promoting participant autonomy, regulating an unstable drug supply, and creating community, this intervention has reduced self-reported overdose risk and improved the health and social wellbeing of members. No overdoses reported from CC-sourced drugs suggests that authorizing, expanding and continually evaluating the CC model is warranted.
Design/methods
From December 2022 to February 2023, 16 CC members were interviewed about their experiences with DULF’s CC. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with these participants. Thematic analysis was used to code for a priori and unexpected themes.
