What is a needle exchange program?
Nov 06, 2017 · Supporters of needle exchange programs say the pros are: Lower numbers of contaminated needles in a community. Reduced drug-related behavior. Reduced sexual-risk behavior. Increased access to drug treatment referral services. Increased access to testing and diagnostic services.
Does needle exchange reduce syringes exchange?
Jan 21, 2017 · Rather than encouraging drug use, needle exchange programs are simply aimed at making the process much safer and finding a way to engage clients. A more robust list of the reasons needle exchange programs are needed includes the following: They help reduce the risk of HIV infection associated with drug injections.
What percentage of needles are returned to needle exchange programs?
This chapter assesses the effects of needle exchange programs on HIV infections and drug use behaviors. Five major sources provide the evidentiary basis for the panel's assessment: (1) a 1991 review carried out by congressional request of the effectiveness of needle exchange programs (U.S. General Accounting Office, 1993), (2) a second comprehensive evaluation carried out by …
How are syringe exchange and harm reduction programs funded?
It costs an average city about $160,000 to run an NEP (about $20 per user per year), whereas one syringe-infected AIDS patient will require upwards of $120,000 per year in public health expenditures. 11. Federal law forbids use of federal funds to support needle exchanges – nonetheless, exchanges operate in 38 states. 12.
What are the negatives on needle exchange programs?
The report addressed all four possible negative outcomes: increases in (1) drug use by program participants; (2) new initiates to injection drug use; (3) drug use in the community in general; and (4) the number of contaminated needles discarded.
How effective are needle exchange programs?
A study by the National Institutes of Health found that NEPs “show a reduction in risk behaviors as high as 80 percent in injecting drug users…” 15. NEP participants have been found five times more likely to enter drug treatment than those who had never used an exchange.
Can federal funds be used for syringes?
Current federal law prohibits the use of federal funds to purchase sterile needles or syringes for the purposes of illegal use of drugs by injection.May 23, 2019
Does the US have a needle exchange program?
Needle exchanges are now legal in 28 states and GOP lawmakers in Florida, Missouri, Iowa and Arizona have introduced bills to legalize needle programs in their states as well, according to a report from Kaiser Health News.May 28, 2019
What are the pros of needle exchange programs?
The Benefits of Needle Exchange ProgramsReduce Use of Contaminated Needles. ... Access to Sterile Injection Equipment. ... HIV Infection Rates. ... More Drug Treatment Referrals. ... Less High-Risk Behavior. ... Free Access. ... Flexible Programs. ... Various Services.Aug 15, 2021
Are needle and syringe programs effective?
Key messages. Australia's needle and syringe program (NSP) is a valuable, cost effective harm reduction service; NSPs have contributed to an overall HIV prevalence rate of less than 1% amongst people who inject drugs (PWID), and reduced rates of syringe sharing from 70-90% to around 17%.May 26, 2015
How many states have syringe service programs?
Implementation Examples. As of August 2019, 31 states and Washington, DC have laws explicitly authorizing syringe services programs (SSPs) in locations throughout the state; disposal services and drug abuse treatment are required to be provided at SSPs in 13 states and 6 states, respectively18.May 14, 2021
When did needle exchange start?
From politics to public health: the ideological cleansing of needle exchange? In 1983, Jon Stuen-Parker, Yale student and former heroin user, began publicly distributing sterile needles to intravenous drug users in New Haven, CT.
How many countries have needle exchange programs?
90 countriesNeedle-exchange programs are available in 90 countries around the world, and use different forms of distribution, ranging from mobile vans to home visits, with community pharmacies usually playing an important role in the program due to their accessibility in terms of opening hours and broad geographical distribution.May 12, 2020
Are needle exchange programs legal in Alabama?
Unfortunately, syringe exchange programs are not permitted in the state of Alabama and individuals are unable to purchase syringe in the pharmacy without a prescription. If you are a person who uses drugs in Alabama you may be able to access sterile syringes through online marketplaces like OTCwholesale.com.
Does Texas have a syringe exchange program?
Texas is the only state in the country that won't allow needle-exchange programs for drug addicts.
Why are needle exchange programs controversial?
Needle exchange programs are controversial because some perceive them to be a kind of enabler to drug users and addicts. However, this criticism ignores the fact that a great many drug users face a danger to their health that extends beyond the effects of the drug itself.
Why do we need needle exchange?
Rather than encouraging drug use, needle exchange programs are simply aimed at making the process much safer and finding a way to engage clients. A more robust list of the reasons needle exchange programs are needed includes the following: 1 They help reduce the risk of HIV infection associated with drug injections 2 They increase the possibility of intravenous drug users seeking treatment for addiction 3 They are a cost-effective means of addressing the significant burden on health care that HIV infections have become 4 Given the various ways needle exchange programs can be implemented, they are flexible to the needs of individual communities 5 They help reduce the levels of stigma and discrimination associated with drug use, instead recognizing that drug addiction is a mental health issue with physical effects on the user
Can you take drugs intravenously?
Quite a few drugs can be administered intravenously – that is, the drug can be taken via a hypodermic needle or syringe. Because there is commonly a shortage of needles among drug users, sharing needles for injection has become something of an undesirable norm for those who use drugs.
Is needle exchange a public health program?
Of course, it is not easy to come up with an answer to whether or not needle exchange programs are the ideal response to a health epidemic as the result of drug use. After all, some would argue that needle exchange programs enable drug users in their habit. Ideal or not, there is no question that needle and syringe programs as public health ...
Potential Outcomes
At the outset, it is important to recognize that the effects of needle exchange programs can be viewed from a number of different perspectives.
The Panel's Approach To The Evidence
The purpose of this section is to clearly explain the panel's perspective in assessing the effectiveness of needle exchange programs. We first briefly review the basis for the traditional review procedures. We then outline the argument for a different approach—one that examines the patterns of evidence in order to assess effectiveness.
U.S. General Accounting Office Review
In late 1991, the House Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control requested that the U.S. General Accounting Office carry out a review of the effectiveness of needle exchange programs. 1
University Of California Report
In September 1993, a second government report, The Public Health Impact of Needle Exchange Programs in the United States and Abroad , was published by the University of California for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The New Haven Studies
After extended legislative debate, Public Act 90-214 allowed the City of New Haven, Connecticut, to implement—on an experimental basis—a legal needle exchange for injection drug users. On November 13, 1990, the New Haven Needle Exchange Program began operation.
The Tacoma Studies
The first legally authorized needle exchange program in the United States was implemented in Tacoma, Washington, in 1988. There are several reasons for examining the research on the Tacoma needle exchange in some detail.
Footnotes
1.
Injection Drug Use and Infectious Disease Make Needle Exchange Programs Imperative
There are an estimated 350,000 regular injection drug users in America – all at increased risk of contracting and spreading fatal blood-borne diseases. 1
Sources
1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) 2003 National Survey on Drug Use & Health
SEP Supplies and Financial Support
The North American Syringe Exchange Network (NASEN) provides information, limited loans and grant funding and technical support to new and existing syringe exchange programs. NASEN also runs a cooperative syringe purchasing program, the Buyers Club, to negotiate between manufacturers, wholesale providers and exchanges.
SEP Operations Funding
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers funding for jurisdictions deemed to either be experiencing a documented increase in HIV and hepatitis C diagnoses or have demonstrated that they are at risk of “a significant increase in hepatitis infections or an HIV outbreak due to injection drug use.” While a federal provision ( Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016#N#(link is external)#N#) bars federal money (including funding distributed through the CDC) from being used “to purchase sterile needles or syringes for the purposes of hypodermic injection of any illegal drug, it allows for federal funds to be used for other aspects of SSPs [syringe services programs] based on the evidence of demonstrated need.” For information about requesting use of CDC funds for SSPs, please check the CDC Program Guidance for Implementing Certain Components of Syringe Service Programs, 2016#N#(link is external)#N#, The Department of Health and Human Services Implementation Guidance to Support Certain Components of Syringe Services Programs, 2016#N#(link is external)#N#, or visit http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/ssps.html#N#(link is external)#N#..
How much does HCV cost?
Some payers have negotiated greater reductions in HCV drug costs. HCV treatment can save $14.3 billion in health costs while costing $69.5 billion to implement, raising budgetary issues for Medicaid and other insurance plans.
What is the prevalence of PWID?
Older and former PWID have an estimated prevalence of 70-90% due to the increased risk of continued injection drug use and needle sharing in the 1970’s and 1980’s before risks of bloodborne virus transmission were widely known. [8]