Experiences Accessing Health and Social Services during and after Natural Disasters among People Who Use Drugs in Houston, Texas

Catherine E. Paquette (), Tasia Danns, Margaret Bordeaux, Zaire Cullins and Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein
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Catherine E. Paquette: Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27701, USA
Tasia Danns: Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27701, USA
Margaret Bordeaux: Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27701, USA
Zaire Cullins: Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27701, USA
Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein: Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27701, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 9, 1-10

Abstract: People who use drugs (PWUD) disproportionately experience health-related and social vulnerabilities, which may affect service needs and access during and after natural disasters. We conducted qualitative interviews with N = 18 PWUD recruited via a syringe services program in Houston, Texas. We assessed their health and social service needs, as well as related service access experiences, during and after natural disasters using a combined inductive–deductive approach. Participants described a range of service-related needs related to illicit drug use, poverty, neighborhood disadvantage, acute and chronic health problems, and housing insecurity. They endorsed decreased access to medical and substance-related services and difficulty accessing disaster relief aid. Interviews highlighted the importance of mutual aid for sharing harm reduction supplies and meeting practical needs. Results suggest that some PWUD experience disproportionate vulnerability after natural disasters related to multiple marginalized identities that intersect with illicit drug use.

Keywords: methadone; harm reduction; housing instability; social vulnerability; Texas; disasters; illicit drugs; poverty; natural disasters; cyclonic storms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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