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First Responders' Views of Naloxone: Does Stigma Matter?
Nathan E Kruis1, Katherine McLean2, Payton Perry1
1Department of Criminal Justice, Penn State Altoona, Altoona, PA, USA.
First responders showed negative attitudes towards naloxone, with stigma towards people who use opioids (PWUO) being a key factor. Reducing stigma through education on addiction as a disease may improve support for this life-saving intervention.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Emergency Medical Services
- Addiction Research
Background:
- First responders exhibit varied opinions on harm reduction strategies for the opioid epidemic, including naloxone.
- Provider-based stigma towards people who use opioids (PWUO) can impact views on opioid use disorder (OUD) interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate first responders' perceptions of naloxone.
- To analyze the correlation between OUD stigma and perceptions of naloxone among first responders.
Main Methods:
- A web-based survey was conducted with 282 police officers and EMT/paramedic students in the Northeastern US.
- Bivariate and multivariable analyses examined the relationship between OUD stigma variants and naloxone perceptions.
Main Results:
- Overall, participants held slightly negative attitudes towards naloxone use.
- OUD stigma, rural residency, and prior naloxone experience were inversely related to support for naloxone.
- Support for the disease model of addiction and associating drug use with low socioeconomic status were positively related to naloxone support.
Conclusions:
- Reducing stigma associated with PWUO can enhance first responder support for naloxone.
- Training programs should incorporate the disease model of addiction and foster familiarity between PWUO and professionals.
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