Needle Exchange Programs Essay

Harm reduction strategies such as needle exchange programs (NEPs) are purposeful and play an important role in the current opioid epidemic. NEPs provides injection drug users (IDUs) with sterile needles and injection equipment in exchange for their used needles. Also they successfully discard used equipment, decreasing the risk of needlestick injuries in public places. NEPs addresses their health concern for IDUs. Injection drug users put their health at risk when they partake in sharing needles and injection equipment. When a user shares contaminated needles or indirectly share their injection equipment, they expose themselves to a high risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis, and other serious blood-borne viral infections. The Vancouver IDU Study indicates

NEPs offer their services despite stigmatization and stereotyping of IDUs and redirect the focus on the health concern of these individuals. NEPs use a realistic and integrated approach when offering their services, they understand relapses are common as well as some IUDs are reluctant to stop injecting, incapable of quitting or do not have access to treatment centers. NEPs are cost-effective, providing sterile needles and injection equipment is an inexpensive way to reduce the risk for blood-borne infectious disease transmission and lifetime medical care costs. In the US, treating HIV infections was estimated to range from $244 million to $538 million between 1987 and 1995. In 2001, a study was conducted amongst 81 cities. The study compared HIV infection rates among injection drug users in cities that have needle exchange programs and cities that do not. The study found that the 52 cities without NEPs, HIV infection rates increased an average of 5.9 percent per year. In the 29 cities with NEPs, HIV infection rates decreased on average by 5.8 percent per year. The study concluded that needle exchange programs generate lower levels of HIV infection among injection drug