Keywords
harm reduction; opioid use; overdose prevention; syringe service program; naloxone; people who use drugs
Abstract
The ongoing overdose problem in the United States, particularly exacerbated by the widespread use of fentanyl, and polydrug use, represents a critical public health challenge. This thesis explores how people who use drugs (PWUD) in Orlando, Florida, are responding to the overdose problem in their community. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted at a syringe services program in Summer 2023, I argue that PWUD in Orlando actively take measures to prevent overdose and overdose deaths but are faced with many obstacles that challenge their overdose prevention efforts. I examine overdose narratives of PWUD to show how factors preventing effective overdose prevention are not just systemic but also cultural. In particular, the prevailing stigma of opioid use hinders the creation of a supportive environment for preventing overdoses and perpetuates the ostracization of PWUD in Orlando. Recognizing the profound influence of stigma towards the PWUD with whom I conducted research, I make the case for reimagining overdose prevention as a comprehensive effort in Orlando to equip PWUD, their families, first responders, and the broader community with the knowledge, skills, and tools to address overdose. Such efforts also have the potential to recalibrate cultural misconceptions and biases toward PWUD. As Florida and the nation continue to experience an overdose problem, understanding local cultural and structural challenges remains pivotal. This project demonstrates that by integrating comprehensive training and combating stigmatization of PWUD, Orlando communities can prevent overdose and save lives more effectively.
Thesis Completion Year
2024
Thesis Completion Semester
Spring
Thesis Chair
Harris, Shana
College
College of Sciences
Department
Department of Athropology
Thesis Discipline
Anthropology
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus Access
None
STARS Citation
Ocando Monaco, Maria De Los Angeles, "Out of Sight, Out of Mind: An Anthropological Exploration of Overdose Prevention Experiences and Perceptions Among People Who Use Drugs in Orlando, Florida" (2024). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 24.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/24