Pablo Gonzalez Nieto

Topic

Supply and Sellers: Insights into the Unregulated Opioid Market from a Drug Checking Service in Victoria, British Columbia

Social Dimensions of Health

Date & location

• Wednesday, April 30, 2025
• 3:00 P.M.
• Virtual Defence

Examining Committee

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Bruce Wallace, School of Social Work, University of Victoria (Supervisor)
• Dr. Jaime Arredondo Sanchez Lira, UVic (Co-Supervisor)

External Examiner

• Dr. Zaheera Jinnah, School of Social Work, UVic

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Abdul Roudsari, School of Health Information Science, UVic

Abstract

The opioid overdose crisis remains a critical public health issue, particularly in British Columbia, where fentanyl and its analogues have become primary contributors to overdose deaths. Drug checking services, a harm reduction intervention that was adapted to respond to this crisis, provide users with essential information about the contents of illicit substances, attempting to function as a tool to reduce overdose risk and general harm reduction. This thesis explores the complexities of the unregulated opioid market through the lens of a drug checking service, Substance Drug Checking, based in Victoria, B.C., and specifically examines the role of people who sell drugs that engaging with this service.

This research is comprised of two complementary studies. The first focuses on the analysis of opioid samples submitted to the service between 2021 and 2023, with an emphasis on identifying trends in the composition of the opioid market, particularly fentanyl analogues and benzodiazepines. The second examines the service access characteristics of people who sell drugs, through a combination of data from the intake survey and drug checking results, focusing on their engagement with the service and potential adaptations of the service for their needs.

Findings from the first study highlight the dominance of fentanyl and its analogues in the opioid supply, but also reveal the maintained presence of benzodiazepines, such as bromazolam, in the market, complicating overdose risks. Data from the service also show variable fentanyl concentrations, emphasizing the unpredictability of the drug supply. The second study draws attention to the under-explored role of drug sellers in harm reduction, suggesting that their use of drug checking services may serve as a midstream intervention, addressing risks earlier in the drug distribution chain particularly around illicit opioids.

In conclusion, this thesis contributes to a deeper understanding of the opioid supply and the role of drug sellers in the overdose crisis, calling for more targeted harm reduction strategies and drug policies that can better address the complexities of the unregulated drug market.