Heroin-related overdose: The unexplored influences of markets, marketing and source-types in the United States

摘要: Heroin overdose, more accurately termed ‘heroin-related overdose’ due to the frequent involvement of other drugs, is leading cause mortality among regular heroin users. (Degenhardt et al., 2010) injectors are at greater risk hospital admission for heroin-related overdose (HOD) in eastern United States where Colombian-sourced powder sold than western US black ‘tar’ predominates. (Unick 2014) This paper examines under-researched influences on HOD, both fatal and non-fatal, using data from a qualitative study injecting drug users tar San Francisco Philadelphia Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews carried out 2012 that conducted against background longer-term participant-observation, ethnographic studies dealers (2007–12) (1994–2007, 2012). Our findings suggest three types previously unconsidered arise structural socio-economic factors physical properties source-types: 1) retail market structure including information flow between users; 2) marketing techniques such as branding, free samples pricing 3) differences characteristics two major source forms how they affect vascular health. Although chosen their contrasting source-forms, we found cities have dominant models retailing: respondents tended buy private frequented an open-air street branded distributed, although each city included sales. These structures shape availability regarding potency its dissemination who tend seek strongest available given day. The these source-types, way prepared effects vein health also differ markedly. purpose this examine some unexplored may lead generate hypotheses further study.