Imagine a simple program local governments could undertake to reduce the rate of HIV and hepatitis transmission in their jurisdictions. The program would be inexpensive and have little negative side effects, and it has been proven to cut the number of sick citizens. The problem? This program also represents a tacit endorsement of illegal activity.
As the use of heroin rises in Somerville, the importance of needle exchange programs will also increase. While we recognize that policies facilitating distribution of clean needles for drug use is extremely controversial, we ultimately support these exchange programs.
It's true that money spent on clean needles might be better spent on law enforcement targeted at drug users. And it's also true that government programs which encourage drug users to exchange their dirty needles for clean ones send a message in direct contradiction to the legal prohibition of heroin use.
But these arguments prove to be red herrings and can distract us from looking at this issue in a clear-headed manner.
First of all, the amount of money spent on needle exchange programs does not represent money funding drug use; rather, it is money spent preventing the spread of HIV and hepatitis. We'd rather have a few bucks go toward buying a bag of clean needles than have mountains of tax money subsidizing expensive drug cocktails required to treat men and women who are HIV-positive.
And although exchange programs seem at first glance to be sending a message that contradicts the government's ban on heroin use, seeing the issue in such black and white terms is potentially dangerous.
Needle exchange programs help curtail one of the harmful effects that drug use can have on society. When heroin users shoot up with dirty needles, they are not only putting themselves at risk for HIV and hepatitis, they are also risking the health of everyone that will sleep with them or come in contact with their bodily fluids for the rest of their lives.
Preventing drug addicts from re-using their needles doesn't facilitate drug use. A 2001 study from the American Journal of Public Health cited in last year's Boston Globe found that jurisdictions without needle exchange programs do not have proportionally lower drug use.
Furthermore, the Massachusetts needle exchange programs do not provide resources to those hoping to get their first-ever heroin fix. New users cannot walk into a clinic and demand needles; instead, addicts must present a dirty needle in order to obtain a clean one.
A heroin addict in need of a fix is likely to shoot up, whether or not a clean needle is available. Preventing the re-use of dirty needles is a simple and cheap measure society can take to decrease the prevalence of deadly diseases in our midst.
