Drug UseTASANCT02457949
The Impact of Alternative Social Assistance Disbursement on Drug-related Harm
A study testing Non-synchronized social assistance receipt and cheque divided into two equal disbursements in people with Drug Use, run by University of British Columbia at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
This study evaluates whether altering the timing and frequency of social assistance disbursement reduces drug related-harms that increase on the days surrounding monthly synchronized government social assistance cheque issue. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 19 to 64 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Drug Use
- What is being tested?
- Non-synchronized social assistance receipt and cheque divided into two equal disbursements
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 194 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 27 Oct 2015to 30 Sep 2019
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 19 to 64 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- be ≥19 years of age or older
- reside in greater Vancouver, Canada
- report regular use of illicit drugs other than cannabis
- receive monthly provincial income assistance
- are not currently administered (where cheque issue/money is externally managed)
- be eligible and willing to be a client of the local credit union who will administer the intervention
Show all 9Show fewer
- report intensified drug use around government cheque issue days
- provide written informed consent
- be willing to comply with study procedures
Who cannot join
- plan to relocate outside Vancouver
- have plans to discontinue income assistance
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Canada1 site
British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
Vancouver, British Columbia, V6Z 2A9
About this study
Official title: The Impact of Alternative Social Assistance Disbursement on Drug-Related Harm: a Randomized Control Trial
This study evaluates whether altering the timing and frequency of social assistance disbursement reduces drug related-harms that increase on the days surrounding monthly synchronized government social assistance cheque issue.
Read the detailed description
Coordinated monthly income assistance payments, while seeking to alleviate poverty, can also have negative and unintended impacts, particularly among people who use illicit drugs (PWUD). Observational research has identified escalations in drug-related harm coinciding with monthly assistance payments, such as overdose, treatment interruption, hospital admissions and public disorder. This project varies the timing and frequency of income assistance disbursement, and evaluates whether varying income assistance disbursement reduces drug-related harm coinciding with coordinated income assistance.
Conducted among 273 PWUD, participants will be allocated for 6 income assistance cycles to a control or one of two intervention arms. Participants in the control arm will receive payments according to the existing monthly government schedule. Participants in the intervention arm will receive their income assistance: (1) monthly on a day different from government cheque issue; or (2) semi-monthly on days different from government cheque issue. The intervention will be evaluated using qualitative and quantitative methods for its impact on drug use and related harms.
- Conditions
- Drug Use
- Being tested
- Non-synchronized social assistance receipt, cheque divided into two equal disbursements
- Keywords
- Social Assistance, Drug Use, Drug-Related harm
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Non-synchronized social assistance receiptOther
Also called Staggered
Social assistance disbursement outside government cheque issue week
cheque divided into two equal disbursementsOther
Also called Split
Social assistance disbursement divided into two equal payments
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment As Usual (TAU) | No intervention | Receipt of social assistance on government cheque issue days for 6 income assistance cycles (approx 26 weeks). |
| Staggered Arm | Experimental | Receipt of social assistance once monthly on a randomly assigned day that does not fall during the week of government cheque issue (Non-synchronized social assistance receipt), for 6 income assistance cycles (approx 26 weeks). Receives: Other: Non-synchronized social assistance receipt |
| Staggered and Split Arm | Experimental | Receipt of social assistance twice monthly on equally spaced randomly assigned days that do not fall during the week of government cheque issue (Non-synchronized social assistance receipt, cheque divided into two equal disbursements), for 6 income assistance cycles (approx 26 weeks). Receives: Other: Non-synchronized social assistance receipt; Other: cheque divided into two equal disbursements |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Illicit drug use on government cheque issue days
Timeline Follow Back (TLFB) assessed increase of drug use defined as an increase in the frequency of drug use of at least 40% or an increase in the number of drugs used during the 3 days beginning with government cheque issue day, compared to non-cheque issue days.
Measured: 26 weeks
Secondary outcomes (4)
Illicit drug use on non-government cheque issue days
Timeline Follow Back (TLFB) assessed increase of drug use defined as an increase in the frequency of drug use of at least 40% or an increase in the number of drugs used during the 3 days beginning with individual cheque issue day (among intervention participants), compared to non-cheque issue days.
Measured: 26 weeks
Hospital admissions on government cheque issue days
Emergency Department, Emergency Department Mental Health and substance use hospitalizations in the three days beginning with government cheque issue day compared to non-cheque issue days.
Measured: 26 weeks
Overdose
Self-reported non-fatal overdose and hospital record verified fatal overdose on the three days beginning with government cheque issue day compared to non-cheque issue days.
Measured: 26 weeks
Police service utilization
Self-reported and police record-verified interactions with police or use of police services on the three days beginning with government cheque issue day compared to non-cheque issue days.
Measured: 26 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 May 2015 (estimated)
- Study start27 Oct 2015
- Primary completion2 Jan 2019
- Study completion30 Sep 2019
Why it stopped: Interim analyses produced signal of intervention efficacy for primary outcomes and weaker signal of increased exposure to violence. Therefore, DSMC recommended stopping recruitment in May 2018. Enrolled participants completed intervention by Aug 2018
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (5)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Drug UseStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of British ColumbiaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator
- Enrolment
- 194 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of British Columbia
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- BC Centre on Substance Use
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Lindsey Richardson, University of British Columbia
- Investigators
- Lindsey Richardson, DPhil, Principal investigator, University of British Columbia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02457949
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- H14-02401
- Acronym
- TASA
- Status last verified
- Nov 2020
- First submitted
- 13 May 2015
- Last updated
- 17 Nov 2020
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
Publications
Klaire S, Choi J, Laing A, Richardson L. Impact of alternative income assistance disbursement on substance use disorder treatment adherence among people who use drugs. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2025;51(3):383-394. doi: 10.1080/00952990.2025.2494112. Epub 2025 May 7.
PubMed 40334114Robinson K, Laing A, Choi J, Richardson L. Effect of modified income assistance payment schedules on substance use service access: Evidence from an experimental study. Int J Drug Policy. 2024 Feb;124:104293. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104293. Epub 2024 Jan 5.
PubMed 38183858Richardson L, Laing A, Choi J, Nosova E, Milloy MJ, Marshall BD, Singer J, Wood E, Kerr T. Effect of alternative income assistance schedules on drug use and drug-related harm: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Public Health. 2021 May;6(5):e324-e334. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00023-2. Epub 2021 Apr 12.
PubMed 33857455Mendell J, Richardson L. Integrated knowledge translation to strengthen public policy research: a case study from experimental research on income assistance receipt among people who use drugs. BMC Public Health. 2021 Jan 18;21(1):153. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-10121-9.
PubMed 33461522Richardson L, Laing A, Milloy MJ, Maynard R, Nosyk B, Marshall B, Grafstein E, Daly P, Wood E, Montaner J, Kerr T. Protocol of the impact of alternative social assistance disbursement on drug-related harm (TASA) study: a randomized controlled trial to evaluate changes to payment timing and frequency among people who use illicit drugs. BMC Public Health. 2016 Jul 29;16:668. doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-3304-6.
PubMed 27473400
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Nov 2020. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Impact of Alternative Social Assistance Disbursement on Drug-Related Harm: a Randomized Control Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02457949
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TASA / H14-02401
- Conditions
- Drug Use
- Keywords
- Social Assistance, Drug Use, Drug-Related harm
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- TerminatedReason stopped: Interim analyses produced signal of intervention efficacy for primary outcomes and weaker signal of increased exposure to violence. Therefore, DSMC recommended stopping recruitment in May 2018. Enrolled participants completed intervention by Aug 2018
- Enrolment
- 194 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of British ColumbiaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- BC Centre on Substance Use
- Study start
- 27 Oct 2015 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 2 Jan 2019 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Sep 2019 (actual)
- First posted
- 29 May 2015 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study evaluates whether altering the timing and frequency of social assistance disbursement reduces drug related-harms that increase on the days surrounding monthly synchronized government social assistance cheque issue.
Detailed description
Coordinated monthly income assistance payments, while seeking to alleviate poverty, can also have negative and unintended impacts, particularly among people who use illicit drugs (PWUD). Observational research has identified escalations in drug-related harm coinciding with monthly assistance payments, such as overdose, treatment interruption, hospital admissions and public disorder. This project varies the timing and frequency of income assistance disbursement, and evaluates whether varying income assistance disbursement reduces drug-related harm coinciding with coordinated income assistance.
Conducted among 273 PWUD, participants will be allocated for 6 income assistance cycles to a control or one of two intervention arms. Participants in the control arm will receive payments according to the existing monthly government schedule. Participants in the intervention arm will receive their income assistance: (1) monthly on a day different from government cheque issue; or (2) semi-monthly on days different from government cheque issue. The intervention will be evaluated using qualitative and quantitative methods for its impact on drug use and related harms.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (investigator)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment As Usual (TAU) | No intervention | –Receipt of social assistance on government cheque issue days for 6 income assistance cycles (approx 26 weeks). |
| Staggered Arm | Experimental | Other: Non-synchronized social assistance receiptReceipt of social assistance once monthly on a randomly assigned day that does not fall during the week of government cheque issue (Non-synchronized social assistance receipt), for 6 income assistance cycles (approx 26 weeks). |
| Staggered and Split Arm | Experimental | Other: Non-synchronized social assistance receipt, Other: cheque divided into two equal disbursementsReceipt of social assistance twice monthly on equally spaced randomly assigned days that do not fall during the week of government cheque issue (Non-synchronized social assistance receipt, cheque divided into two equal disbursements), for 6 income assistance cycles (approx 26 weeks). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 19 to 64 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (9 listed)
- be ≥19 years of age or older
- reside in greater Vancouver, Canada
- report regular use of illicit drugs other than cannabis
- receive monthly provincial income assistance
- are not currently administered (where cheque issue/money is externally managed)
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- plan to relocate outside Vancouver
- have plans to discontinue income assistance
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Non-synchronized social assistance receiptAlso: StaggeredSocial assistance disbursement outside government cheque issue week | Other | Staggered Arm, Staggered and Split Arm |
| cheque divided into two equal disbursementsAlso: SplitSocial assistance disbursement divided into two equal payments | Other | Staggered and Split Arm |
Primary outcome
Illicit drug use on government cheque issue days
Time frame: 26 weeks
Timeline Follow Back (TLFB) assessed increase of drug use defined as an increase in the frequency of drug use of at least 40% or an increase in the number of drugs used during the 3 days beginning with government cheque issue day, compared to non-cheque issue days.
4 secondary outcomes
Illicit drug use on non-government cheque issue days
Time frame: 26 weeks
Hospital admissions on government cheque issue days
Time frame: 26 weeks
Overdose
Time frame: 26 weeks
Police service utilization
Time frame: 26 weeks
Results and safety
The study was stopped early (reason given: Interim analyses produced signal of intervention efficacy for primary outcomes and weaker signal of increased exposure to violence. Therefore, DSMC recommended stopping recruitment in May 2018. Enrolled participants completed intervention by Aug 2018). Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Nov 2020.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 40334114Klaire S, Choi J, Laing A, Richardson L. Impact of alternative income assistance disbursement on substance use disorder treatment adherence among people who use drugs. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2025;51(3):383-394. doi: 10.1080/00952990.2025.2494112. Epub 2025 May 7.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 38183858Robinson K, Laing A, Choi J, Richardson L. Effect of modified income assistance payment schedules on substance use service access: Evidence from an experimental study. Int J Drug Policy. 2024 Feb;124:104293. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104293. Epub 2024 Jan 5.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 33857455Richardson L, Laing A, Choi J, Nosova E, Milloy MJ, Marshall BD, Singer J, Wood E, Kerr T. Effect of alternative income assistance schedules on drug use and drug-related harm: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Public Health. 2021 May;6(5):e324-e334. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00023-2. Epub 2021 Apr 12.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 33461522Mendell J, Richardson L. Integrated knowledge translation to strengthen public policy research: a case study from experimental research on income assistance receipt among people who use drugs. BMC Public Health. 2021 Jan 18;21(1):153. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-10121-9.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 27473400Richardson L, Laing A, Milloy MJ, Maynard R, Nosyk B, Marshall B, Grafstein E, Daly P, Wood E, Montaner J, Kerr T. Protocol of the impact of alternative social assistance disbursement on drug-related harm (TASA) study: a randomized controlled trial to evaluate changes to payment timing and frequency among people who use illicit drugs. BMC Public Health. 2016 Jul 29;16:668. doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-3304-6.
- British Columbia Centre on Substance UseLink provided by the sponsor.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Lindsey Richardson, DPhil principal investigator
University of British Columbia
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Non-synchronized social assistance receipt and cheque divided into two equal disbursements in people with Drug Use, run by University of British Columbia at 1 site in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 9 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Nov 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study was stopped early (reason given: Interim analyses produced signal of intervention efficacy for primary outcomes and weaker signal of increased exposure to violence. Therefore, DSMC recommended stopping recruitment in May 2018. Enrolled participants completed intervention by Aug 2018). Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Illicit drug use on government cheque issue days (time frame: 26 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02457949, which also lists 5 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Nov 2020.