Browsing by Author "Aslan Nergiz, Aygul"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Strategies for Addressing Needle Debris Study (SANDS): A Content Analysis of Media Reports about Needle Debris and Discarded Drug Paraphernalia in Alberta, Canada
    (University of Calgary, 2024) Ferreira, Carla; Gadimova, Farida; Neufeld, Kyle; Chapdelaine, Jeremy; Guan, Cally; Aslan Nergiz, Aygul; Elliot, Jessie; Khan, Nayab; Raval, Aum; Stokes, Graeme; Lockerbie, Stacy Lee; Jackson, Jennifer
    Objectives: Media reports are known to influence public perceptions of mental health and harm reduction services. The purpose of this study was to analyze media reporting about needle debris and discarded drug paraphernalia, as they related to support for harm reduction services. Methods: We conducted a structured search of media outlets in Alberta, Canada, from March 2015 to February 2022. We conducted content analysis of the text from the media reports. Results: We identified a total of 112 articles from 6 outlets. Government officials and SCS employees were represented most often, at 27% each. About half of media reports included views associating needle debris and supervised consumption sites (52%), with beliefs that the sites produced needle debris, rather than mitigated it. Conclusion: Media reports presented mixed views of needle debris and community impact from harm reduction. Advocates can consider different messaging for each group, based on these views.