Enabling A Bad Idea
I’ve met and talked politics and policy with all three of the commissioners for my county. I thought they were a fairly conservative group, but appear to have been mistaken. Five years ago, a local church established a mobile needle and syringe exchange program here in Lewis County. Such programs enable drug abusers to maintain a safer, but still addicted, lifestyle. Enabling drug addiction and the related homelessness and crime is not what I want for this county.
Recently, the board of county commissioners proposed a plan to regulate the needle exchange program. Within the eight pages of draft regulations there are some good ideas, but my idea is simpler, eliminate the needle exchange. That does not appear to be under consideration.
You can view the regulations for Lewis County here. Below is my letter to my county commissioners.
Commissioners,
Sometimes responsible citizens just need to say no. It has come to my attention that the county commissioners are considering allowing a needle exchange program in Lewis County. It is my hope that our commissioners will act as responsible and effective leaders.
No tax-supported program should be inaugurated in the county that does not improve the lives of citizens. Many needle exchange programs allow Drug abusers to receive clean needles without surrendering old needles. In such cases, abusers will often abandon unneeded needles. This creates a health hazard for all citizens.
However, the problem is not the needle, it’s the addiction. If the county establishes a needle exchange program, drug dealers will immediately know where to find their customers. They will congregate in those areas. Are we prepared to see clusters of homeless drug abusers and dealers around needle exchange sites in Centralia and Chehalis? Injecting drugs increases the risk of overdosing. Are we prepared to see more death?
Drug abusers are often homeless and unemployed. Despite free services, such as needles and condoms, crime and disease will remain widespread. Drug abusers need to purchase drugs and other paraphernalia. Abusers will continue to steal and trade sex for funds to buy the drugs.
The first needle exchange program in this nation was established in Tacoma, in 1988. If these programs were successful Tacoma should be a model city. It is not. Can you show me any community with a needle exchange program that has experienced lower rates of addiction, crime, and homelessness? Giving addicts clean needles may delay the onset of disease, but it provides no solution and if it is not a solution why implement the program?
In a National Institute of Health study, they concluded that “a successful exchange program would reduce the risk of new infection among injection drug users without increasing drug use and health risks to the public.”
The study cited above states that the success of a drug abuse program should be measured by the reduction of HIV and other needle-borne diseases, referrals to drug treatment, and changes in risk behaviors. The programs I have seen and heard proposed do nothing more than enable a slow suicide.
I welcome your response.
Thank you,
Kyle Pratt
Does your city or county have a needle and syringe exchange program? If not, would you want them to adopt such a program? Do you believe the program has been helpful? Tell me what you think in the comment section below.
