%0 Journal Article
%T ¡®THE BIGGEST MISTAKE GOD EVER MADE WAS TO CREATE JUNKIES¡¯: UNSAFE INJECTION PRACTICES, HEALTH CARE DISCRIMINATION AND OVERDOSE DEATHS IN MONTREAL, CANADA
%A Jozaghi
%A Ehsan
%J Canadian Graduate Journal of Sociology and Criminology
%D 2013
%I Paladin Academic Press
%X Despite the existence of prevention programmes in Montreal, Canada, injection drug users (IDUs) continue to share their injection drug equipment. This practice has led to an increase in the incidences of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) among IDUs since 2003. The present study was conducted to explore factors contributing to the increased risks of this morbidity. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted as drug users were actively involved in their routine activities. The participants¡¯ narratives indicate that IDUs in Montreal are involved in risky injection behaviour that increases HIV, HCV and bacterial transmission. Moreover, IDUs in Montreal are at an increased risk of overdose and death when they are forced to inject in public washrooms or alleys. In addition, many IDUs have placed the general public at risk by discarding their used needles in public parks, sidewalks and public washrooms. Furthermore, many IDUs in Montreal have faced discrimination and are refused treatment by the health care system. Micro- environmental factors, such as a paucity of safe injection sites, inaccessibility of injection equipment and discrimination all seem to be contributing factors in recent increases in HIV and HCV in Montreal.Malgr¨¦ les programmes de pr¨¦vention qui existent ¨¤ Montr¨¦al, Canada, les utilisateurs de drogues injectables (UDI) continuent de partager leurs seringues. Cette pratique a men¨¦ ¨¤ une augmentation de l¡¯incidence du virus de l¡¯immunod¨¦ficience humaine (VIH) et du virus de l¡¯h¨¦patite C (VHC) parmi les UDI depuis 2003. La pr¨¦sente ¨¦tude a ¨¦t¨¦ men¨¦e afin d¡¯examiner les facteurs qui contribuent ¨¤ l¡¯augmentation des risques de cette morbidit¨¦. Des entretiens qualitatifs semi-directifs ont ¨¦t¨¦ r¨¦alis¨¦s pendant que les utilisateurs faisaient usage de drogues. Les commentaires recueillis aupr¨¨s des participants ont confirm¨¦ que les UDI de Montr¨¦al adoptent des comportements d¡¯injection qui augmentent les risques de contracter le VIH et le VHC en plus de faciliter la transmission de bact¨¦ries. De plus, le risque de surdose et de mort est plus ¨¦lev¨¦ chez les UDI de Montr¨¦al lorsqu¡¯ils sont forc¨¦s de s¡¯injecter des drogues dans des toilettes publiques ou dans des ruelles. En outre, de nombreux UDI compromettent la s¨¦curit¨¦ du public en jetant leurs seringues dans les parcs publics, sur les trottoirs ou dans les toilettes publiques. Par ailleurs, de nombreux UDI de Montr¨¦al ont ¨¦t¨¦ victimes de discrimination et se sont vus refuser l¡¯acc¨¨s ¨¤ des traitements par le syst¨¨me de sant¨¦ publique. Des facteurs micro-environnementaux, tels que la raret¨¦ de si
%K Supervised injection facility
%K harm reduction
%K drug policy
%U http://cgjsc-rcessc.uwaterloo.ca/index.php/cgjsc/article/view/16/26