The outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the subsequent national responses to contain and mitigate the epidemic (self-isolation, quarantine, confinement, lockdowns), has introduced unprecedented challenges for services providing care to people who use drugs in the community. Research has shown that the increase in psychological distress triggered by the interaction of financial difficulties, social isolation and uncertainty about the future during and after crises like the COVID‐19 pandemic can influence health behaviors and wellbeing; for instance, it either worsen patterns of drug use and increase attributable harm OR reduce the level of alcohol use and attributable problems.  This is supported by anecdotal evidence which suggests that there have been changes in how people access and use drugs due to the pandemic. 

Given the possible influence of COVID-19 on drug use pattern, and to ensure that service providers are in the position to provide quality care and enact proper drug use reduction strategies, it is important to know the consequences of Covid-19, as well as national response measures to problems stemming from the lack of access to care and how services have adapted to meet the new challenges in reducing drug use   This population Impact Survey of COVID-19 on patterns of drug use in Dominica seek to determine the impact of COVID-19 on patterns of drug use and investigate the current impact of the COVID-19 epidemics and improve national responses in Dominica on changes in patterns of drug use, harms, and service provision. Throughout this report, emphasis on substance use will highlight both legal and illegal drugs i.e. alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine and any other substance(s) which has physiological effects when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body, to include prescription medication.  

Click here to read the entire COVID-19 Impact Survey on Patterns of Drug Use Dominica report.