Differences in Self-Reported Discrimination by Primary Type of Drug Used among New York City Drug Users

Background: Illicit drug users experience various forms of discrimination which may vary by type of drug used, as there are different levels of stigma associated with different types of drugs. Objectives: This study investigated self-report of perceived discrimination by primary type of drug used. Methods: This analysis used data from "Social Ties Associated with Risk of Transition into Injection Drug Use" (START), a cross-sectional study of recently initiated injection drug users (IDUs) and prospective study of heroin/crack/cocaine-using non-IDUs (n = 652). Using log binomial regression, the relationship between primary drug used (i.e., single drug used most often) with discrimination due to drug use was examined. Results: Heroin users were significantly more likely (Prevalence ratio (PR): 1.52 (95% Confidence interval (CI): 1.15-2.07)) to report discrimination due to drug use compared to cocaine users. Conclusion and Scientific Significance: More research is needed to understand the mechanism through which discrimination affects heroin users, and its potential relation with other discrimination-related outcomes, namely depression and drug treatment.