British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada.
British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program, University of British Columbia, 270-2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
Int J Drug Policy. 2022 Sep;107:103791. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103791. Epub 2022 Jul 10.
Polysubstance use is common among people who use drugs, including the co-use of stimulants and opioids. Research suggests the practice of simultaneous co-injection of methamphetamines and opioids, often referred to as "goofballs", is increasing. As a relatively unique drug use practice, little qualitative research currently exists on goofball injecting. This study explores the practice and embodied experiences of goofball injecting.
This article draws on in-depth interviews conducted across two qualitative studies undertaken in Vancouver, Canada's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood examining changing dynamics in relation to stimulant use and experiences with an overdose prevention site-based safer supply intervention, respectively. Interviews containing discussions of goofball use (n=29) were extracted from each study and merged into a single qualitative dataset. Data were analysed thematically and focused on the practices and embodied experiences of goofball injection.
Our analysis uncovered how goofball injection represented a complex drug use practice driven by the desire to achieve particular embodied experiences not attainable by using either drug individually. We identified three distinct practices of goofball use: 1) to alter or enhance the effects of opioids; 2) to alter or enhance the effects of methamphetamines; and 3) to balance out the effects of both drugs.
Our study fills an important gap in the polysubstance use literature specifically exploring the co-injection of methamphetamines and opioids. Our findings highlight the need to implement and expand interventions and services attentive to polysubstance use and the role of pleasure in drug taking practices, including expanding non-medicalized opioid and stimulant safer supply initiatives across North America.
药物滥用者普遍存在多种物质滥用的情况，包括同时使用兴奋剂和阿片类药物。研究表明，同时注射冰毒和阿片类药物（通常称为“goofballs”）的做法正在增加。作为一种相对独特的药物使用方式，目前关于 goofball 注射的定性研究很少。本研究探讨了 goofball 注射的实践和体现经验。
本文借鉴了在加拿大温哥华的唐人街社区进行的两项定性研究中的深入访谈，分别探讨了与兴奋剂使用相关的动态变化以及与基于过量预防站点的更安全供应干预措施相关的经验。从每项研究中提取了包含 goofball 使用讨论的访谈（n=29），并合并到一个单一的定性数据集中。数据进行了主题分析，重点关注 goofball 注射的实践和体现经验。
我们的分析揭示了 goofball 注射如何代表一种复杂的药物使用实践，这种实践是由追求特定的体现经验驱动的，而这些经验是单独使用任何一种药物都无法获得的。我们确定了 goofball 使用的三种不同实践：1）改变或增强阿片类药物的效果；2）改变或增强冰毒的效果；3）平衡两种药物的效果。
我们的研究填补了多物质使用文献中的一个重要空白，专门探讨了冰毒和阿片类药物的共同注射。我们的研究结果强调需要实施和扩大干预措施和服务，以关注多物质使用和药物使用实践中的愉悦感，包括在整个北美扩大非医疗化阿片类药物和兴奋剂的更安全供应计划。
