The projected costs and benefits of a supervised injection facility in Seattle, WA, USA.

BACKGROUND: As one strategy to improve the health and survival of people who inject drugs, the King County Heroin & Opioid Addiction Task Force recommended the establishment of supervised injection facilities (SIF) where people can inject drugs in a safe and hygienic environment with clinical supervision. Analyses for other sites have found them to be cost-effective, but it is not clear whether these findings are transferable to other settings. METHODS: We utilized local estimates and other data sources deemed appropriate for our setting to implement a mathematical model that assesses the impact of a hypothetical SIF on overdose deaths, non-fatal overdose health service utilization, skin and soft tissue infections, bacterial infections, viral infections, and enrollment in medication assisted treatment (MAT). We estimated the costs and savings that would occur on an annual basis for a small-scale pilot site given current overdose rates, as well as three other scenarios of varying scale and underlying overdose rates. RESULTS: Assuming current overdose rates, a hypothetical Seattle SIF in a pilot phase is projected to annually reverse 167 overdoses and prevent 6 overdose deaths, 45 hospitalizations, 90 emergency department visits, and 92 emergency medical service deployments. Additionally, the site would facilitate the enrollment of 41 SIF clients in medication assisted treatment programs. These health benefits correspond to a monetary value of $5,156,019. The annual estimated cost of running the SIF is $1,222,332. The corresponding cost-benefit ratio suggests that the pilot SIF would generate $4.22 for every dollar spent on SIF operational costs. The pilot SIF is projected to save the healthcare system $534,453. If Seattle experienced elevated overdose rates and Seattle SIF program were scaled up, the health benefits and financial value would be considerably greater. CONCLUSION: This analysis suggests that a SIF program in Seattle would save lives and result in considerable health benefits and cost savings.

Assessing transmission of crop diseases by insect vectors in a landscape context.

Theory indicates that landscape composition affects transmission of vector-borne crop diseases, but few empirical studies have investigated how landscape composition affects plant disease epidemiology. Since 2006, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) has vectored the cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV) to cantaloupe and honeydew melons (Cucumis melo L.) in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, causing significant reductions in yield of fall melons and increased use of insecticides. Here, we show that a landscape-based approach allowing simultaneous assessment of impacts of local (i.e., planting date) and regional (i.e., landscape composition) factors provides valuable insights on how to reduce crop disease risks. Specifically, we found that planting fall melon fields early in the growing season, eliminating plants germinating from seeds produced by spring melons after harvest, and planting fall melon fields away from cotton and spring melon fields may significantly reduce the incidence of CYSDV infection in fall melons. Because the largest scale of significance of the positive association between abundance of cotton and spring melon fields and CYSDV incidence was 1,750 and 3,000 m, respectively, reducing areas of cotton and spring melon fields within these distances from fall melon fields may decrease CYSDV incidence. Our results indicate that landscape-based studies will be fruitful to alleviate limitations imposed on crop production by vector-borne diseases.

Developing, implementing, and evaluating a condom promotion program targeting sexually active adolescents.

This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Condom Campaign, a 1995 HIV prevention program promoting condom use among sexually active adolescents in three King County, Washington, urban communities. This program employed three main strategies: (a) mobilizing all levels of the target communities to support and guide program development and implementation; (b) creating and implementing a mass media campaign targeting sexually active teenagers that promoted correct condom use and favorable attitudes toward condoms; and (c) recruiting public agencies, community organizations, and businesses to distribute condoms from bins and vending machines. We evaluated the program through a series of cross-sectional interviews conducted in the three communities chosen for their elevated levels of adolescent sexual risk behavior. Overall, 73% of target youth reported exposure to the Condom Campaign; exposure did not differ by age, gender, race, or level of sexual experience. Levels of sexual activity remained stable throughout the media campaign.

PIP: This paper describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Condom Campaign, a 1995 HIV prevention program promoting condom use among sexually active adolescents in three King County, Washington, urban communities. The three main strategies employed by the program were: 1) mobilizing all levels of the target communities to support and guide program development and implementation; 2) creating and implementing a mass media campaign targeting sexually active teenagers that promoted correct condom use and favorable attitudes toward condoms; and 3) recruiting public agencies, community organizations, and businesses to distribute condoms from bins and vending machines. The program was evaluated through a series of cross-sectional interviews conducted in the three communities chosen for their elevated levels of adolescent sexual risk behavior. Overall, 73% of target youths reported exposure to the Condom Campaign. The exposure did not differ by age, gender, race, or level of sexual experience. The proportion of youths currently sexually active did not increase in conjunction with the Condom Campaign.

Developing a cost-effective media campaign addressing unprotected anal sex among gay men.

This paper describes the development and implementation of the Stella Seattle campaign, a media campaign targeting men who have unprotected anal sex with other men. Stella Seattle utilizes a serial cartoon strip format. Scenarios and characters in the strip are derived from local formative research on factors associated with unprotected anal sex in men who have sex with men, including depression, isolation, misinformation, and normative behavior. Weekly strips illustrating the struggles and hopes of gay men who are practicing unprotected anal sex are distributed in postcard form throughout the gay community and are placed in two weekly newspapers. Surveys conducted in the gay community and at an HIV test site indicate that 35% to 45% of men have seen Stella, and of these men about half have discussed it with their friends.