How changing drug supplies affect overdose risk and treatment in Vancouver
Official title: An ethno-epidemiological study of the implementation and effectiveness of an innovative and comprehensive response to the evolving overdose epidemic
Funded at University of British Columbia · NIH-11088722 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how shifts in drugs like fentanyl, stimulants, and novel psychoactive substances change overdose risk and treatment for people who use drugs in Vancouver.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of British Columbia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Vancouver, Canada) |
| Project start | July 1, 2017 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $572,546 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA044181-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11088722 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults in Vancouver who use opioids, especially those exposed to fentanyl, stimulants, or novel psychoactive substances, are ideal candidates for this work.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not use these substances or who live outside Vancouver or Canada are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will combine interviews, field observation, and clinical/cohort data to learn how drug use and the local drug supply are changing. They will track exposures to fentanyl, stimulants, and novel psychoactive substances, and record treatment experiences and outcomes for people using opioids and stimulants. The team will look at how community prevention services and opioid agonist treatments are working in practice and how they could be adapted. Findings are intended to help shape services that better protect people from overdose in a rapidly changing drug environment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help tailor overdose prevention and treatment services to better protect people who use drugs from fentanyl-related and polysubstance overdoses.
How similar studies have gone: Vancouver's prior harm-reduction programs and some opioid agonist treatments have lowered overdose deaths, but applying an ethno-epidemiological approach to fentanyl-stimulant polysubstance use and NPS exposure is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kerr, Thomas — University of British Columbia
- Study coordinator: Kerr, Thomas
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.