Exploring Risk Prevention and Harm Reduction Behaviours among Snorted Cocaine Users

Introduction: cocaine use presents significant public health challenges. A promising approach to address this global health problem is to identify protective behaviors that can mitigate use, prevent risks, and minimize negative consequences for people who use snorted cocaine. Objective: this study aims to explore risk prevention and harm reduction behaviours among people who use snorted cocaine in order to contribute to the development and evaluation of harm reduction interventions in the future. Method: qualitative, exploratory study, based on in-depth interviews. Protective behavioral strategies were identified through in-depth semi-structured interviews from 10 cocaine users from Latin America. Results: we identified a range of strategies that people who use snorted cocaine employ in order to avoid cocaine use, prepare for its use, assess substance quality, minimize risks during consumption (including those related to poly-drug use), control dosage, protect routes of administration, mitigate potential adverse effects, reduce sexual risks, avoid legal problems, and recovering. Discussion and conclusions: this is the first study to explore protective behavioral strategies in experienced snorted cocaine users. Such insights into users' self-regulatory practices and care strategies can inform the development of future interventions.