Investigating the Impact of Online Community Involvement on Safety Practices and Perceived Risks Among People Who Use Drugs

Substance abuse is prevalent in contemporary society, posing significant safety risks to people who use drugs (PWUD). The advent of online communities is gradually altering PWUD's drug use behaviors and, as a consequence, their safety practices. Yet, the precise impacts and challenges these changes introduce to PWUD's safety have scarcely been explored. We conducted 19 semi-structured interviews with PWUD and analyzed content from 29 drug-related subreddits to examine how their involvement in online communities influences their safety practices. Our findings reveal that online communities have afforded PWUD broader access to information and community engagement, facilitating emotional support and better management of their drug use. Nonetheless, it has also introduced challenges such as the spread of misinformation, the promotion of risky behaviors, and the risk of deception. We further discuss the challenges PWUD face transitioning to online communities, and offer design implications to enhance their safety.