Gicquelais Rachel E, Chenoweth Rachel P, Jacobson Nora, Conway Caitlin, Bryan Gina M
Departments of Population Health Sciences & Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, United States.
University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing, Madison, United States.
Harm Reduct J. 2025 Jul 18;22(1):124. doi: 10.1186/s12954-025-01283-z.
Overdose response hotlines, such as the SafeSpot and Never Use Alone phone hotlines and Brave smartphone application, are promising tools to reduce fatal overdose risk among people who use drugs (PWUD). These free and confidential services connect callers to a trained operator who monitors them for adverse reactions during and after drug use. We explored PWUD's perceptions of overdose response hotlines.
PWUD receiving substance use treatment in a facility in a Midwestern US city were screened for eligibility using the NIDA-Modified ASSIST questionnaire and invited to enroll if they had a moderate or severe substance involvement score for use of street or prescription opioids. Ten participants completed a 30-45-minute in-depth interview focused on overdose prevention, including perceptions and use of overdose response hotlines, in February 2022. Inductive content analysis was used to describe perspectives on overdose response hotlines.
Only 1 of the 10 participants had heard of overdose response hotlines, but most were optimistic about their potential benefits for PWUD. One participant said, "I believe that if word was out there, people would use it." Another stated, "I would trust it today. I know that there is [sic] people trying to change what's going on in our culture with opiates." Participants described several potential barriers to utilization, including distrust, especially in the context of drug-induced paranoia and concerns about being arrested, and the cost of an emergency medical response if an overdose occurred. One participant stated, "people get paranoid when they're using drugs. And to be like, 'I'm using!' over the phone, that's not too easy." Another said, "If you call 911, the police are coming and if you're using, you're going to jail."
Overdose response hotlines are acceptable and trustworthy fatal overdose prevention tools. However, several barriers may limit their utilization, including distrust, drug-induced paranoia, and the cost and potential consequences should an overdose occur, including arrest or cost of emergency response. Further study of utilization, acceptability, and policy and practical solutions addressing perceived barriers to utilizing these services are needed.
过量用药应对热线，如SafeSpot和“绝不独自使用”电话热线以及Brave智能手机应用程序，是降低吸毒者（PWUD）致命过量用药风险的有前景的工具。这些免费且保密的服务将来电者与经过培训的接线员联系起来，接线员会在吸毒期间及之后对他们进行不良反应监测。我们探讨了吸毒者对过量用药应对热线的看法。
在美国中西部城市一家机构接受物质使用治疗的吸毒者使用美国国立药物滥用研究所修改后的ASSIST问卷进行资格筛查，如果他们在使用街头或处方阿片类药物方面的物质使用参与度评分为中度或重度，则邀请他们参与。2022年2月，10名参与者完成了一次30 - 45分钟的深入访谈，重点是过量用药预防，包括对过量用药应对热线的看法和使用情况。采用归纳性内容分析法来描述对过量用药应对热线的看法。
10名参与者中只有1人听说过过量用药应对热线，但大多数人对其对吸毒者的潜在益处持乐观态度。一名参与者表示：“我相信如果宣传出去，人们会使用它。”另一名参与者称：“我现在就会信任它。我知道有人在努力改变我们文化中阿片类药物的现状。”参与者描述了几个使用方面的潜在障碍，包括不信任，尤其是在药物导致偏执以及担心被捕的情况下，还有过量用药发生时紧急医疗应对的费用。一名参与者说：“人们吸毒时会变得偏执。要在电话里说‘我在吸毒！’，这可不太容易。”另一名参与者说：“如果你拨打911，警察就会来，如果你在吸毒，你就会进监狱。”
过量用药应对热线是可接受且值得信赖的预防致命过量用药的工具。然而，几个障碍可能会限制其使用，包括不信任、药物导致的偏执，以及过量用药发生时的费用和潜在后果，包括被捕或应急响应费用。需要进一步研究其使用情况、可接受性以及解决使用这些服务所感知到的障碍的政策和实际解决方案。
