Charleston, West Virginia just recently closed it's needle exchange programs. The Major saying it was drawing crime into the city and flooding the streets with syringes. Some however saying it was a vital resource and was preventing the spread of a possible outbreak of Hepatitis and H.I.V.
"While the exchange was open, the health department also collected data on its patients. These records show at least eight people with H.I.V. among the injection drug users the department tested. All but one live in the city of Charleston. If they share needles in the months ahead, Charleston is at “grave risk for an H.I.V. outbreak just like the one in Scott County,” Dr. Brumage said. “We’re sitting on a powder keg.”
With the program no longer in affect. How do you think Charleston will be affected? Since this program didn't work well for some, what possibly might be an alternative program for the city or what improvement could be made to the needle exchange program, the cities police chief gave some possible new rules in a statement(below).Do you think these rules would work, especially to those who are using and also homeless?
"the police chief imposed new rules on the program, loosely based on those used by a much smaller exchange run by West Virginia Health Right, a clinic nearby. Participation would be limited to people who could prove — with picture ID — that they lived in the county. Testing for hepatitis and H.I.V. would be mandatory. Needles would be dispensed only in strict one-for-one trades."
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/04/27/upshot/charleston-opioid-crisis-needle-exchange.html
It is scary to think about the negative externalities associated with this crisis. I feel like this is a thoughtful precaution, and based on the results mentioned in the article this program needs to be continued.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that this program needs to continue. Removing it will only make things worse and will increase the spread of certain life threatening diseases.
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