Injection drug use in Vancouver has been dropping for past 15 years: Study

published on June 24, 2013 in Metro News

Injection drug use has been declining in Greater Vancouver over the past 15 years, with the exception of injectable crystal methamphetamine, while the prevalence of overall drug use has remained relatively constant, according to a new study.

The comprehensive report on the drug situation in Vancouver was produced by researchers at the Urban Health Research Initiative (UHRI) and BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. It was based on data collected from willing participants who reported having used hard drugs at least once in the past six months.

Dr. Thomas Kerr, report co-author and UHRI co-director, said crack cocaine is now the most popular drug of choice among hard drug users in Greater Vancouver, peaking in 2007, when 40.7 of study participants reported smoking it daily, up from 3.5 per cent in 1996.

Kate Webb
Metro News
Read More

View the full article