When the drug of choice is a drug of confusion: embalming fluid use in inner city Hartford, CT.
This paper examines the use of a new illicit drug--embalming fluid mixtures--in Hartford, CT based on a recent assessment of drug consumption in an outreach-recruited sample of 242 not-in-treatment active drug users. Sociodemographic, drug use, and health and social problems of drug users who do and do not use embalming fluid mixture are presented, revealing some notable differences between these two groups of street drug users. Despite regular consumption, we report that embalming fluid mixture users are often uncertain about what is in this new drug, despite experiencing often powerful effects. Urine toxicology findings from a subsample of individuals who used embalming fluid mixtures in the last 48 hours, reveal the frequent presence of phencyclidine (PCP) as well as other drugs. The public health implications of this new wave of PCP use are assessed.
Singer
Merrill
M
Center for Community Health Research of the Hispanic Health Council, Hartford, CT 06106, USA. anthro8566@aol.com
Mirhej
Greg
G
Shaw
Susan
S
Saleheen
Hassan
H
Vivian
James
J
Hastings
Erica
E
Rohena
Lucy
L
Jennings
DeShawn
D
Navarro
Juhem
J
Santelices
Claudia
C
Wu
Alan H B
AH
Smith
Andrew
A
Perez
Alberto
A
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000635:transmission; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003237:Connecticut; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004340:Drug Contamination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004615:Embalming; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010622:Phencyclidine / Q000009:adverse effects; D010623:Phencyclidine Abuse / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001741:Black or African American
D013287:Illicit Drugs; D005557:Formaldehyde; D010622:Phencyclidine