Involving Big Issue Vendors in a Peer Education Initiative to Reduce Drug-related Harm: a feasibility study

Ensuring health promotion initiatives reach socially marginalized groups demands a creative approach to intervention. One intervention model for those considered 'hard to reach' is peer education. This paper reports findings from an action research project which examined the feasibility of involving vendors of the Big Issue magazine (sold by the 'homeless') in a peer education initiative to reduce drug-related harm. This multi-method study comprised formative evaluation to identify health promotion foci (drug-related harm, including drug overdose, was found to be key); to explore vendors' opportunities for intervention and the 'service environment' necessary to organize and support such work. Peer education training sessions and post-training interviews were conducted to assess the practical feasibility of vendor participation in the delivery of peer education. Findings are used to discuss the possibilities for further developing such initiatives.