TY - JOUR
T1 - Substances detected in used syringes of injecting drug users across 7 cities in Europe in 2017 and 2018: The European Syringe Collection and Analysis Project Enterprise (ESCAPE)
AU - Brunt, Tibor M.
AU - Lefrançois, Elodie
AU - Gunnar, Teemu
AU - Arponen, Anne
AU - Seyler, Thomas
AU - Goudriaan, Anneke E.
AU - McAuley, Andrew
AU - McKeown, Denise A.
AU - Detrez, Victor
AU - Csorba, Jozsef
AU - Deimel, Daniel
AU - Auwärter, Volker
AU - Kempf, J. rgen
AU - Karolak, Sara
AU - Nefau, Thomas
N1 - Funding Information: Our highest praise goes out to the brave people that aided in sampling collection support and provision of relevant information. We want to mention them all per country and city: ? Finland, Helsinki: Mija Alho, Linda Brown, Jari-Juhani Helakorpi, Sanni Joutsenlahti, Outi Kuikanm?ki, Salli Laine, Sami Nieminen, Elli Peltola, Juha-Pekka P??skysaari, Elina Raunio, Minna Roivinen, Sirpa Simpanen, Aki Ter?v?, and other personnel and responsibles from low-threshold services in Helsinki. Analytical support and expertise: Dr. Anna Pelander (QTOF/MS methodology) and Ms Sanna Kyll?nen (sample preparation). ? France, Paris: Pr. Yves Levi, Maya Bimbot, Aziz Kinani from Paris-Saclay University. Catherine Duplessy, Julien Van der Elst, Bienvenue Mbadu Kambu and Thierry Grandidier from association SAFE. ? Switzerland, Lausanne: S?bastien Roaux, and the responsible from Fondation ABS, low threshold facilities in Lausanne (collection sites and sampling support), Matthieu Rou?che and all the socio-educative team for their commitment and knowledge sharing. ? The Netherlands, Amsterdam: Toon Broeks from Stichting Mainline, harm reduction service, Amsterdam (collection sites and sampling). ? Scotland, Glasgow: Hazel J. Torrance, University of Glasgow, UK, John Campbell, NHS GGC, Scotland, Carole Hunter, NHS GGC, Scotland. Staff at Simon Community and Glasgow Drug Crisis Centre, Scotland. ? Germany, Cologne: Marco Jesse, Thoralf Wedig, Dr. Thomas Hamb?chen, Ren? Sch?fer, Jane van Well, Andreas Hecht, Michaela Diers, Marcus Lauterborn, Michael Schumacher. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/9
Y1 - 2021/9
N2 - Background and aims: Injecting drug use is a matter of public health concern, associated with risks of overdoses, addiction and increased risk of bloodborne viral transmissions. Self-reported data on substances injected can be inaccurate or subject to bias or drug users might be oblivious to their injected substances or adulterations. Gathering of robust analytical information on the actual composition of substances injected might provide better information about the drugs that are being used. Therefore, this study aimed to analyse the residual content of discarded syringes collected across 7 European cities, collectively called the European Syringe Collection and Analysis Project Enterprise (ESCAPE). Methods: Used syringes were collected at street automatic injection kit dispensers or at harm-reduction services in Amsterdam, Budapest, Cologne, Glasgow, Helsinki, Lausanne and Paris. Two sampling periods were executed thus far, in 2017 and 2018. Qualitative chemical analysis of the content of used syringes was performed combining gas chromatographic (GC) and ultra(high)performance liquid chromatographic ((U)HPLC) analytical techniques with detection by mass spectrometry (MS). Results: Substances detected most frequently across both campaigns were cocaine, heroin, buprenorphine, amphetamines and synthetic cathinones. In Amsterdam, Cologne, Lausanne and Glasgow heroin and cocaine were the psychoactive substances most often detected, often in conjunction with each other. Helsinki showed a high presence of buprenorphine and amphetamines. In Budapest and Paris, synthetic cathinones were frequently detected. Less synthetic cathinones and cocaine was detected in 2018, whereas buprenorphine was detected almost twice as much. Inner-city variations were found, probably reflecting the types of people who inject drugs (PWID) in different areas of the city. Conclusion: Overall, laboratory-confirmed local data on injected substances showed resemblance to national surveys done among PWID. However, the ESCAPE data also showed some interesting differences, showing it can be used for local interventions and complementing existing monitoring data.
AB - Background and aims: Injecting drug use is a matter of public health concern, associated with risks of overdoses, addiction and increased risk of bloodborne viral transmissions. Self-reported data on substances injected can be inaccurate or subject to bias or drug users might be oblivious to their injected substances or adulterations. Gathering of robust analytical information on the actual composition of substances injected might provide better information about the drugs that are being used. Therefore, this study aimed to analyse the residual content of discarded syringes collected across 7 European cities, collectively called the European Syringe Collection and Analysis Project Enterprise (ESCAPE). Methods: Used syringes were collected at street automatic injection kit dispensers or at harm-reduction services in Amsterdam, Budapest, Cologne, Glasgow, Helsinki, Lausanne and Paris. Two sampling periods were executed thus far, in 2017 and 2018. Qualitative chemical analysis of the content of used syringes was performed combining gas chromatographic (GC) and ultra(high)performance liquid chromatographic ((U)HPLC) analytical techniques with detection by mass spectrometry (MS). Results: Substances detected most frequently across both campaigns were cocaine, heroin, buprenorphine, amphetamines and synthetic cathinones. In Amsterdam, Cologne, Lausanne and Glasgow heroin and cocaine were the psychoactive substances most often detected, often in conjunction with each other. Helsinki showed a high presence of buprenorphine and amphetamines. In Budapest and Paris, synthetic cathinones were frequently detected. Less synthetic cathinones and cocaine was detected in 2018, whereas buprenorphine was detected almost twice as much. Inner-city variations were found, probably reflecting the types of people who inject drugs (PWID) in different areas of the city. Conclusion: Overall, laboratory-confirmed local data on injected substances showed resemblance to national surveys done among PWID. However, the ESCAPE data also showed some interesting differences, showing it can be used for local interventions and complementing existing monitoring data.
KW - Chemical analysis
KW - Heroin
KW - Injected substances
KW - People who inject drugs (PWID)
KW - Polydrug use
KW - Synthetic cathinones
KW - Syringes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099709927&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103130
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103130
M3 - Article
C2 - 33487529
SN - 0955-3959
VL - 95
JO - International journal on drug policy
JF - International journal on drug policy
M1 - 103130
ER -