Table 3.
Major changes and impacts due to COVID-19.
| Overarching Theme(s) and Sub-Theme(s)* | Frequency of participants who indicated changes n (%) | Percentage out of total sample (n = 200) (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Indicated changes to substance supply | ||
| Quality of substances decreased (N = 153) | 94 (61%) | 47% |
| Cost of substances increased (N = 162) | 100 (62%) | 50% |
| Accessibility of substances decreased (N = 151) | 88 (58%) | 44% |
| Indicated changes to substance use frequency | ||
| Increased use (N = 196) | 92 (47%) | 46% |
| Relapsed (N = 196) | 14 (7%) | 7% |
| Decreased use (N = 196) | 75 (38%) | 38% |
| Indicated changes to substance use characteristics | ||
| Use characteristics (e.g., use alone, use with others) (N = 182) | 73 (40%) | 37% |
| Location of use (N = 131) | 44 (34%) | 22% |
| Indicated increases in potential risk | ||
| Substituted for other substances (N = 94) | 57 (61%) | 29% |
| Re-used paraphernalia due to COVID-19 (N = 64) | 30 (47%) | 15% |
| Overdose risk increased (N = 173) | 66 (38%) | 33% |
⁎
For clarification and illustrative purposes, we have provided the total number (N) of participants who discussed each respective theme in the left-hand column, and the total number of participants who indicated experiencing the respective change or impact to this theme in the column on the right. We have also included the respective percentage of each out of the total sample on the far right, Categories are not mutually exclusive as participants described experiencing several impacts simultaneously.