Description:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Centers for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) is soliciting investigator initiated research to improve our understanding of risk and protective factors, patterns, and trajectories related to polydrug use, with a focus on polydrug combinations most likely to result in nonfatal overdose or death, such as combinations including synthetic opioids. Polydrug combinations of interest include the following: Co-use of multiple opioids, knowingly or unknowingly (i.e., due to unknown adulterants) Co-use of non-opioid drugs (particularly psychostimulants [e.g., methamphetamine], cocaine, and benzodiazepines) AND opioids, knowingly or unknowingly Co-use of other combinations of drugs that may result in drug overdose Applicants should focus on identifying risk and protective factors, AND patterns, AND trajectories of polydrug use for either 1) the general population OR 2) one or more of the following subpopulations of interest: Persons who have experienced acute or chronic pain and used prescription opioids to manage their pain Persons who use cannabis, either medically or non-medically Applicants may also use prior research or preliminary data to justify an alternate subpopulation of interest, such as other groups which have been disproportionately affected by overdose. The overall goal of this research is to better understand risk and protective factors for and patterns and trajectories of polydrug use in order to inform targeted drug use and overdose prevention efforts.