“It’s just a perfect storm”: Exploring the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on overdose risk in British Columbia from the perspectives of people who use substances

Table 1 Summary characteristics of the study population

Participant Characteristics	Number of Participants (%) N = 62
*Age*
18–24	11 (17.7%)
25–34	14 (22.6%)
35–44	16 (25.8%)
45–54	10 (16.1%)
55+	8 (12.9)
Unknown ^a	3 (4.8%)
*Urbanicity* ^b
Rural	2 (3.2%)
Small Urban	8 (12.9%)
Medium Urban	3 (4.8%)
Large Urban	29 (46.8%)
Metropolitan	20 (32.3%)
*Gender Identity*
Woman	26 (41.9%)
Man	29 (46.8%)
Gender non-conforming, intersex, non-binary or transgender	4 (6.5%)
Unknown ^a	3 (4.8%)
*Indigeneity* ^c
Yes	29 (46.8%)
No	30 (48.4%)
Unknown ^a	3 (4.8%)
*Opioid Use*
Yes	40 (64.5%)
No	15 (24.2%)
Unknown ^a	7 (11.3%)
*Stimulant Use*
Yes	50 (80.6%)
No	5 (8.1%)
Unknown ^a	7 (11.3%)
*Use both Stimulants and Opioids*
Yes	35 (56.5%)
No	20 (32.3%)
Unknown ^a	7 (11.3%)

^a Unknown represents data that was not reported by participants.
^bUrbanicity of participant locations of residence were classified according to a system developed by the BC Ministry of Health which relies on definitions created by Statistics Canada [32], while also taking into consideration remoteness, population density, and proximity to urban areas [33].
^cIndigeneity self-reported by participants as Yes/No in the GSDOA Study and included participants self-identifying as First Nations and Métis in the CUT Meth Study. It is important to note that Indigenous identity often serves as a proxy for the downstream impacts of colonialism, including but not limited to socioeconomic status, intergenerational trauma, and the systemic racism experienced by Indigenous individuals [34].

ISSN: 1471-2458