Strike Carol, Watson Tara Marie
1 University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
2 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Health Promot Pract. 2018 Sep;19(5):741-746. doi: 10.1177/1524839918778554. Epub 2018 Jun 8.
Needle and syringe programs (NSPs) are key public health and HIV prevention programs. We sought to compare over time the quality of relationships between NSPs and police, and implementation of best practices. We conducted cross-sectional surveys in 2008 ( n = 32) and 2015 ( n = 28) with NSP managers in Ontario, Canada. Participants were recruited via e-mail to complete an online survey. Over the period studied, self-reported quality of NSP-police relationships did not change-roughly two thirds of NSP managers reported a positive/mostly positive relationship. In 2015, higher proportions of programs offered training to police about the following: the purpose and goals of NSPs (48% vs. 41% in 2008), NSP effectiveness (55% vs. 34%), the health and social concerns of people who use drugs (52% vs. 40%), and needlestick injury prevention (44% vs. 31%). Few managers reported formal conflict resolution procedures with the police (22% in 2015, 9% in 2008). Our findings show that NSP-police relationships did not deteriorate during a time when such programs fell into disfavor with the federal government. More research is needed to understand if and when formal versus informal agreements with police serve the needs of NSPs.
针头与注射器项目(NSPs)是关键的公共卫生和艾滋病预防项目。我们试图长期比较NSPs与警方之间关系的质量以及最佳实践的实施情况。2008年(n = 32)和2015年(n = 28),我们对加拿大安大略省的NSPs管理人员进行了横断面调查。通过电子邮件招募参与者以完成在线调查。在研究期间,自我报告的NSPs与警方关系质量没有变化——大约三分之二的NSPs管理人员报告关系为积极/大多积极。2015年,更高比例的项目为警方提供了以下方面的培训:NSPs的目的和目标(48%对2008年的41%)、NSPs的有效性(55%对34%)、吸毒者的健康和社会问题(52%对40%)以及预防针刺伤(44%对31%)。很少有管理人员报告与警方有正式的冲突解决程序(2015年为22%,2008年为9%)。我们的研究结果表明,在这类项目不受联邦政府青睐的时期,NSPs与警方的关系并未恶化。需要更多研究来了解与警方达成正式和非正式协议是否以及何时能满足NSPs的需求。