NCJ Number
198562
Journal
Addiction Volume: 97 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2002 Pages: 1511-1516
Date Published
December 2002
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper explores young heroin users exposure and response to witnessing another person’s heroin-related overdose.
Abstract
The authors explain that in San Francisco, heroin-related overdoses have surpassed motor vehicle accidents and homicide as the leading cause of death. The goal of the present study was to assess the reaction of young heroin injectors when they witnessed a heroin-related overdose. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional study of 973 current San Francisco heroin injectors age 30 and under. Results revealed that 73 percent of young heroin injectors had witnessed at least one heroin-related overdose, while 50 percent of the respondents had witnessed an overdose in the past year. Reactions to the overdose varied from calling for emergency services to doing nothing. Calls for emergency services were only placed in 52 percent of the most recent overdoses that were witnessed by respondents. Thus, in a full 48 percent of cases, some other method of assistance was offered instead of the ideal response of calling emergency services. Fear of police was the most salient reason offered by respondents for their unwillingness to call for help. References