Illicit drugs in general are a major problem worldwide, more specifically IV drugs. Adopting needle exchange programs is a good way to reduce IV drug addiction and effects. Not only do drugs become addicting, but they ruin you and your loved ones lives and needle exchange programs can help reduce this problem. Needle exchange programs exchange dirty, used needles and syringes for clean ones, and have additional services: helps get homeless people off the street, rehab options, and mental health services. Even though they give out clean needles and syringes, they do not support drug use and do not allow you to use them on site. Needle exchange programs
One of the major problems of our society nowadays is the rapid growth of drug addicts. This is because people misused and abused drugs, which can lead to addiction and dependent on drugs. In addition, the most abused drugs are psychotropic drugs such as cocaine and heroin, which can change the way people thinks, acts and feels. Today, there are many programs that are established to help drug users and prevent the spread of diseases. Needle exchange program (NEPs) is one of the programs, which has goal to reduce harm to drug users and innocent people. Moreover, implementing of needle exchange programs has become an argument because it cannot help drug users but instead it encourages them to use more drugs. In fact,
There are many ways in which people who are addicted to intravenous drugs are perceived by our society. People sometimes believe the addicted person is to blame for their circumstance and substance dependence and some feel serious drug addicts are a “lost cause” due to a lack of values or flawed character. “Persons who struggle with addictions often are depicted as criminals or prostitutes, weak, lazy and morally corrupt” (Bartlett, R., Brown, L., Shattell, M., Wright, T., Lewallen, L. (2013). These stereotypes paint people with addiction negatively; a percentage of people who live with serious addiction are capable of recovery with the right attitude, support and healthcare. Street level healthcare services such as; safe injection sites, provide accessable resources at street level for people to make the choice to live healthier lifestyles. Govement funding and support is needed to make these projects possible to improve the health of Canadians. Safe injection sites are proven to be positive contributions to communities, save lives, reduce harm and open doors towards recovery for people from the grip of addiction.
The townspeople or community might be hesitant to provide assistance for injection drug users. Stigma exists around substance use and abuse especially when it comes to needle-exchange programs. The belief that providing clean needles encourages drug use, rather than discourages needle sharing. Studies done by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) argues that this response can be dangerous since it ignores other studies that demonstrate how clean needle exchange is an effective took for reducing HIV and hepatitis transmission. This program provides support for the inflected. Through access to counselors, treatment options, or education about safer needle use are all provided all from one program (Sosin, 2012). It can also benefit the larger community of drug users or those how suffer from hepatitis. A program in Rhode Island called ENCORE (Education, Needle Exchange, Counseling, Outreach, and Referrals) is designed for outreach to those at-risk individuals who may not otherwise present for prevention,
Caring for one another in society requires empathetic attitudes and patience. Society is as only as strong as the weakest among us. Some within society have lost their way and require a collective helping hand to keep them going. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the importance of needle exchange programs within our communities and promote these types of programs' abilities to assist others in the recovery process.
For instance, if an individual lives in the ghetto, they are mostly connected in some way to the use of illicit drugs and alcohol use. Indeed, this can be due to the numerous amount of bars located in a low-income neighborhood or sale of illicit drugs within the community. In the article Five Stereotypes about Poor Families and Education, Valerie Strauss asserted, “We also should realize that when these problems do exist in low-income families, they have the potential to be particularly devastating because people in poverty who are struggling with substance abuse generally do not have at their disposal the sorts of recovery opportunities available to wealthier families. Nor do they have access to preventative medical attention that might catch and treat growing dependencies before they become full-fledged additions.” (Strauss, 2013) Therefore, instead of labeling poor individuals as the responsibility of the drug and alcohol abuse epidemic, a solution can be given to assist these individuals with these problems before the addiction grows and becomes out of hand to
Harm reduction can be defined as an approach that aims to reduce the consequences of high risk behaviours such as injection drug use on the individual and on society as a whole. Harm reduction programs provide injection drug users with access to a clean injection environment, sterile injections, drug-preparation equipment and safe disposal of contaminated material at the time of injection. Staff members in harm reduction facilities provide health teaching, anonymous HIV testing, information on addiction treatment, condoms and assist in connecting clients to social and health services (Semaan et al., 2011; Ball, 2007). Although, the benefits of harm reduction are evident through reduction of accidental drug overdose and prevention of
Imagine living in a world where the government supplied drug addicts with free drugs. This is what is happening with the needle exchange. Needle Exchange Programs allow injecting drug users to trade in dirty needles for clean needles at little to no cost. Using dirty needles, or needles that have already been used, is one of the main causes of HIV and other blood borne illnesses. There have been many studies that show this correlation. There are many problems that make Needle Exchange programs ineffective.
Some residents of New Hanover County find that statistic new and shocking. However, many others have dealt with the issue for a significant amount of time. As you leave the tourist areas of New Hanover County, you find public housing projects, trailer parks, and parks littered with discarded hypodermic needles. To people who live in these places, the opioid crisis already made an impact on everyday life and no longer captures people’s attention. For example, Joe Stanley, a former addict interviewed by NC Policy Watch said that people in Wilmington had been dealing with a drug problem for years. However, it has become big news “because you’re seeing that other demographic
saving lives, and the needle exchange program, which I prefer to call harm reduction programs, does that,” Sienkiewicz said.
Currently in Kentucky, the prevalence of preventing the spread of dangerous pathogens and diseases through tainted needles is the controversial topic. The provocative matter of needle exchange programs will always be as such. The aspiration of this text is to provide comprehension on what is needle exchange programs, Kentucky, educate on public health, funding, and comflict between drug and disease
Drug users should be provided with a good supply of new or sterilised needles and syringes through needle and syringe exchange programmes. It is one of the main methods grouped under the term ‘ harm reduction’ used to prevent HIV infection from injecting drug use. Methadone maintainance and other drug treatment programmes are also effective ways to eliminate the risk of HIV infection as the need to inject drugs altogether.
In the short documentary Heroin and the War on Drugs, produced by Jill Rosenbaum, informs everyone about the heroin and drug problem. Sadly, The United States’ heroin problem started in the 1960s and still goes on today. While there was a long rest period of about 50 years, heroin has been reintroduced and the problem is back. The two heroin hot spot in the 1960s was New York City. Washington eventually used methadone in hopes of helping people. And they did, they cut the amount of crimes in half. At this time, Baltimore had a major AIDS problem as well. So, since AIDS was caused by either having sexual intercourse or sharing needles, the mayor of Baltimore, Kurt
Miller (2015) highlights several differences between men and women who suffer from addiction. For instance, women face more stigma than men. The stereotypical female addict is viewed as pathological (i.e., promiscuous, lazy and/or selfish) and powerless (i.e., weak, scared or trapped). Chemically dependent women are also stigmatized because they are viewed as immoral and are blamed for their addiction. They are also measured against higher moral standards than men and also experience sexual stigma in relation to their addiction which may put them at a higher risk for sexual assault.