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. 2012 Mar-Apr;21(2):120-5.
doi: 10.1111/j.1521-0391.2011.00201.x.

"Shotgunning" in a population of patients with severe mental illness and comorbid substance use disorders

Christopher Welsh  1 , Richard Goldberg, Stephanie Tapscott, Deborah Medoff, Stanley Rosenberg, Lisa Dixon
Affiliations

"Shotgunning" in a population of patients with severe mental illness and comorbid substance use disorders

Christopher Welsh et al. Am J Addict. 2012 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

"Shotgunning" refers to the practice of one individual forcibly exhaling smoke into the mouth of another, and may increase the risk of transmission of respiratory pathogens. The extent of shotgunning among individuals with co-occurring serious mental illness and substance use is unknown. We included questions about shotgunning in an interview of 236 participants of a study testing a model to prevent and treat HIV and hepatitis. Shotgunning was common (61% [145/236]) and correlated with increased substance use severity and several high-risk behaviors. Only 8% (11/145) understood that shotgunning could transmit disease. Further research and patient education on shotgunning is warranted.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper.

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