Housing status and accidental substance-related acute toxicity deaths in Canada, 2016-2017. / Recherche quantitative originale Statut résidentiel et décès accidentels attribuables à une intoxication aiguë liée à une substance au Canada, 2016-2017.
Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can
; 44(7-8): 319-330, 2024 Aug.
Article
in En, Fr
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39141615
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
There is a complex relationship between housing status and substance use, where substance use reduces housing opportunities and being unhoused increases reasons to use substances, and the associated risks and stigma.METHODS:
In this descriptive analysis of people without housing who died of accidental substance-related acute toxicity in Canada, we used death investigation data from a national chart review study of substance-related acute toxicity deaths in 2016 and 2017 to compare sociodemographic factors, health histories, circumstances of death and substances contributing to death of people who were unhoused and people not identified as unhoused, using Pearson chi-square test. The demographic distribution of people who died of acute toxicity was compared with the 2016 Nationally Coordinated Point-In-Time Count of Homelessness in Canadian Communities and the 2016 Census.RESULTS:
People without housing were substantially overrepresented among those who died of acute toxicity in 2016 and 2017 (8.9% versus <1% of the overall population). The acute toxicity event leading to death of people without housing occurred more often in an outdoor setting (24%); an opioid and/or stimulant was identified as contributing to their death more frequently (68%-82%; both contributed in 59% of their deaths); and they were more frequently discharged from an institution in the month before their death (7%).CONCLUSION:
We identified several potential opportunities to reduce acute toxicity deaths among people who are unhoused, including during contacts with health care and other institutions, through harm reduction supports for opioid and stimulant use, and by creating safer environments for people without housing.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Ill-Housed Persons
/
Substance-Related Disorders
/
Housing
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
America do norte
Language:
En
/
Fr
Journal:
Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Canada
Country of publication:
Canada