Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Characterizing the Drug-injecting Networks of Cocaine and Heroin Injectors in Montreal

  • Published:
Canadian Journal of Public Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background: There is little understanding about how the social networks of cocaine injectors are different from those of heroin users and about how such differences are associated with injection risk behaviours. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare drug-injecting network characteristics of cocaine and heroin injectors believed to be associated with a risk of bloodborne infections.

Methods: Active injection drug users (IDUs) were recruited between April 2004 and January 2005 from three syringe exchange and two methadone treatment programs in Montreal, Canada. Characteristics of each participant and of up to 10 social network members (IDU and non-IDU) with whom frequent contact had occurred in the past month were elicited using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. The current analysis focussed on the drug-injecting network members. Logistic regression was used to examine network characteristics in relation to cocaine and heroin injection.

Results: Of 282 study subjects, 81% used cocaine and 19% used heroin as their primary injected drug in the past 6 months. Compared to heroin injectors, participants who injected cocaine had lower odds of knowing their network members for a longer time (OR=0.92, 0.85–0.99), were more likely to report a larger IDU network (OR=1.64, 1.18–2.29) and have IDU partners who had a history of attending shooting galleries (OR=2.42, 1.05–5.56).

Interpretation: This study identified high-risk network-related factors associated with bloodborne infections in cocaine injectors. Prevention efforts may benefit from tailoring interventions according to type of drug used, with particular attention to the drug injecting-network of IDUs.

Résumé

Contexte: On comprend mal la différence entre les réseaux sociaux des personnes qui s’injectent de la cocaïne et ceux des utilisateurs d’héroïne et l’influence que ces différences peuvent avoir sur les comportements d’injection à risque, qui à leur tour peuvent influencer le risque d’infections transmises par le sang. La présente étude a pour objectif de recenser les caractéristiques des réseaux sociaux associées à l’injection de cocaïne et d’héroïne.

Méthodologie: Des utilisateurs de drogues injectables (UDI) actifs ont été recrutés entre avril 2004 et janvier 2005 au sein de programmes d’échange de seringues et de traitement à la méthadone à Montréal, au Canada. Les caractéristiques des participants et d’un maximum de dix membres de leur réseau social (UDI et non-UDI) avec qui les participants avaient eu des contacts fréquents au cours du mois précédent ont été recensées au moyen d’un questionnaire structuré. Cette analyse met l’accent sur les participants à l’étude qui sont des utilisateurs de drogues injectables. La régression logistique a été utilisée pour l’examen des caractéristiques des personnes et du réseau en relation avec l’injection de cocaïne et d’héroïne.

Résultats: Sur 282 UDI, 81 % avaient consommé de la cocaïne et 19 % de l’héroïne comme principale drogue injectable au cours des six mois précédents. Les analyses de régression logistiques ont permis de constater que les utilisateurs de cocaïne étaient plus susceptibles que les utilisateurs d’héroïne de connaître les membres de leur réseau depuis peu de temps (OR=0,92[0,85–0,99]), de signaler un réseau UDI plus étendu (OR=1,64[1,18–2,29]) et d’avoir des partenaires UDI qui s’étaient injecté des drogues dans une piquerie (OR=2,42[1,05–5,56]).

Interprétation: Cette étude a permis de recenser les facteurs liés au réseau et associés à un risque accru d’infection transmissible par le sang chez les utilisateurs de cocaïne, en comparaison aux utilisateurs d’héroïne. Les efforts de prévention pourraient bénéficier d’une personnalisation des interventions selon le type de drogue utilisée, en portant une attention particulière aux réseaux sociaux des UDI.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Single E. A sociodemographic profile of drug users in Canada. Prepared for the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Community Action Programs of Health Canada. Ottawa, ON, 2000;39–40.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Morissette C, Roy E, Parent N and the SurvUDI working group. Temporal trends in HIV incidence and risk behaviours among IDUs in the SurvUDI study 1995–2002. Can J Infect Dis 2004;15(Suppl A):49A.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chaisson RE, Bacchetti P, Osmond D, Brodie B, Sande MA, Moss AR. Cocaine use and HIV infection in intravenous drug users in San Francisco. JAMA 1989;261(4):561–65.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Anthony JC, Vlahov D, Nelson KE, Cohn S, Astemborski J, Solomon L. New evidence on intravenous cocaine use and the risk of infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Am J Epidemiol 1991;134(10):1175–89.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Tyndall MW, Currie S, Spittal P, Li K, Wood E, O’Shaughnessy MV, et al. Intensive injection cocaine use as the primary risk factor in the Vancouver HIV-1 epidemic. AIDS 2003;17(6):887–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Latkin CA, Forman V, Knowlton A, Sherman S. Norms, social networks, and HIV-related risk behaviors among urban disadvantaged drug users. Soc Sci Med 2003;56(3):465–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Schroeder JR, Latkin CA, Hoover DR, Curry AD, Knowlton AR, Celentano DD. Illicit drug use in one’s social network and in one’s neighborhood predicts individual heroin and cocaine use. Ann Epidemiol 2001;11(6):389–94.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hoffmann JP, Su SS, Pach A. Changes in network characteristics and HIV risk behavior among injection drug users. Drug Alcohol Depend 1997;46(1-2):41–51.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Suh T, Mandell W, Latkin C, Kim J. Social network characteristics and injecting HIV-risk behaviors among street injection drug users. Drug Alcohol Depend 1997;47(2):137–43.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Vlahov D, Munoz A, Anthony JC, Cohn S, Celentano DD, Nelson KE. Association of drug injection patterns with antibody to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 among intravenous drug users in Baltimore, Maryland. Am J Epidemiol 1990;132(5):847–56.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Leri F, Stewart J, Fischer B, Jurgen R, Marsh DC, Brissette S, et al. Patterns of opioid and cocaine co-use: A descriptive study in a Canadian sample of untreated opioid-dependent individuals. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2005;13(4):303–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Latkin C, Mandell W, Oziemkowska M, Celentano D, Vlahov D, Ensminger M, et al. Using social network analysis to study patterns of drug use among urban drug users at high risk for HIV/AIDS. Drug Alcohol Depend 1995;38(1):1–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Shelley GA, Bernard HR, Killworth P, Johnsen E, McCarty C. Who knows your HIV status? What HIV+ patients and their network members know about each other. Soc Networks 1995;17(3):189–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University, 1020 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC, H3A 1A2, Canada

    Prithwish De MHSc, Joseph Cox MD, MSc & Jean-François Boivin MD, ScD

  2. Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Ann Jolly PhD

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ottawa, Canada

    Ann Jolly PhD

  4. Montreal Public Health Department, Montreal, Canada

    Joseph Cox MD, MSc & Jean-François Boivin MD, ScD

Authors
  1. Prithwish De MHSc
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ann Jolly PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joseph Cox MD, MSc
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jean-François Boivin MD, ScD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Prithwish De MHSc.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: This paper was presented in part at the 96th Annual CPHA Conference, Ottawa, Canada. Prithwish De is supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Research Award and by the CIHR Transdisciplinary Research Training Initiative in Population and Public Health of Quebec.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

De, P., Jolly, A., Cox, J. et al. Characterizing the Drug-injecting Networks of Cocaine and Heroin Injectors in Montreal. Can J Public Health 97, 207–209 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03405586

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03405586

MeSH terms

Search

Navigation