Binge drug use among street-involved youth in a Canadian setting

Abstract

Background: Binge drug use has been associated with increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and other serious health-related harms among adult drug user populations. This study sought to determine the prevalence and correlates of binge drug use among street-involved youth in a Canadian setting. Methods: From September 2005 to May 2012, data were collected from the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS), a prospective cohort of street-involved youth aged 14–26 years who use illicit drugs. Multivariate generalized estimating equation (GEE) logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with binge drug use. Results: Of the 987 participants included in this analysis, 41.5% reported binge drug use at baseline and another 59.1% reported binge drug use at some point during the study. In multivariate GEE analyses, older age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.11), homelessness (AOR = 1.67), drug injecting (AOR = 1.63), non-fatal overdose (AOR = 1.98), public injecting (AOR = 1.42), being a victim of violence (AOR = 1.38), sex work (AOR = 2.51) and participation in drug dealing (AOR = 2.04) were independently associated with binge drug use in the previous six months (all p < 0.05). Discussion: The prevalence of reporting binge drug use among the youth was high in this setting and was independently associated with a range of high-risk activities and markers of vulnerability. Querying high-risk youth about binge drug use may help prioritize those in greatest need of addiction treatment strategies and public health interventions.

• Addiction
• binge drug use
• homelessness
• injection drug use
• public health
• street youth

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the study participants for their contribution to the research, as well as current and past researchers and staff. We would specifically like to thank Cody Callon, Jennifer Matthews, Deborah Graham, Peter Vann, Steve Kain, Tricia Collingham and Carmen Rock for their research and administrative assistance.