Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Apr:78:102695.
doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102695. Epub 2020 Mar 4.

The protective effect of trusted dealers against opioid overdose in the U.S

Jennifer J Carroll  1 , Josiah D Rich  2 , Traci C Green  3
Affiliations

The protective effect of trusted dealers against opioid overdose in the U.S

Jennifer J Carroll et al. Int J Drug Policy. 2020 Apr.

Abstract

Background: Opioid overdose has become the leading cause of death among adults between 25 and 54 years old in the U.S. The purpose of this study is to explore the social and relational factors that shape the current opioid overdose epidemic.

Methods: Between January 2016 and February 2017, adults in Providence, Rhode Island, who use opioids were recruited to complete structured survey and semi-structured interview about the social context of their substance use.

Results: A total of 92 individuals completed a survey and an interview. Of those, 51 individuals (68.6% male, 49.0% white) discussed their relationships with drug suppliers in their interview and were included in this sub-study. Many of these participants indicated that long-term relationships with trusted dealers represent a key strategy for reducing the risk of substance use-related harm due to suppliers' alleged adoption of consumer protection strategies (e.g. refusing to sell fentanyl) and quality assurance measures (e.g. testing batches of drugs for fentanyl prior to sale).

Conclusion: Interpersonal relationships between individuals who use drugs and their suppliers strongly influence the risk and protective factors experienced by people who use drugs in today's opioid overdose epidemic. Evidence-based prevention strategies that are based on an awareness of-or even designed to harness-those positive and/or protective relationships that people who use drugs have already constructed for themselves are likely merited.

Keywords: Opioids; Overdose; Prevention; Social networks; Substance use.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest None.

References

    1. Abdul-Quader AS, Feelemyer J, Modi S, Stein ES, Briceno A, Semaan S, et al. (2013). Effectiveness of structural-level needle/syringe programs to reduce HCV and HIV infection among people who inject drugs: A systematic review. AIDS and Behavior, 17(9), 2878–2892. 10.1007/s10461-013-0593-y. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Associated Press. (2019). Rhode island man facing fentanyl distribution charges. August 27AP NEWShttps://apnews.com/723273dc2d0442e1a2f14f35487670df.
    1. Bailey WC (1983). The deterrent effect of capital punishment during the 1950s. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior, 13(2), 95–107. - PubMed
    1. Bardwell G, Boyd J, Arredondo J, McNeil R, & Kerr T (2019). Trusting the source: The potential role of drug dealers in reducing drug-related harms via drug checking. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 198, 1–6. 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.01.035. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Barratt MJ, Chanteloup F, Lenton S, & Marsh A (2005). Cannabis law reform in western australia: An opportunity to test theories of marginal deterrence and legitimacy. Drug and Alcohol Review, 24(4), 321–330. 10.1080/09595230500263863. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types