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Harm reduction is designed to reduce the negative consequences of drug use for the individual injecting drugs and the community. 

Syringe exchange is a public health program for people who inject drugs. It is designed to reduce the spread of HIV, hepatitis C and other blood-borne infections to other injection drug users, their families and the larger community.  Exchange programs provide tools, resources, and education to enable people who inject drugs to protect themselves and their communities through safer injection practices and harm reduction methods.   They provide new, sterile syringes on a one-for-one exchange basis together with other health-related supplies, prevention counseling and referrals to other social services including drug treatment, housing and mental health counseling.

Syringe exchange services have been available in Multnomah County for 12 years.  Rates of HIV among people who inject drugs in Multnomah County are lower than in other areas that do not provide these services.  Multiple studies have found that the cities with low rates of HIV infectioin started syringe exchange and prevention efforts early in the AIDS epidemic before AIDS could get a foothold among people who inject drugs. 

The National Institute of Health issued a report stating that exchange services do not increase needle injecting behavior nor encourage people to start injecting drugs.  Studies have found that users of syringe exchange were 5 times more likely to seek drug treatment than those who had never been to syringe exchange.  They also found that injectors who had attended a syringe exchange were more likely to remain in drug treatment. 

Syringe exchange and other harm reduction and prevention programming are part of the solution to the complex issues of drug use in our community. On December 16, 2009, the Federal Government removed the ban on the use of Center for Disease Control funding for Syringe Exchange Programs based on the strong evidence that they are effective in reducing the spread of HIV and hepatitis and other drug related harm.

 

 

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
view in context

Harm reduction is designed to reduce the negative consequences of drug use for the person injecting drugs and the community. 

Syringe exchange is a public health program for people who inject drugs. It is designed to reduce the spread of HIV, hepatitis C and other blood-borne infections to other injection drug users, their families and the larger community. 

Exchange programs provide tools, resources, and education to enable people who inject drugs to protect themselves and their communities through safer injection practices and harm reduction methods.   Exchange programs provide new, sterile syringes on a one-for-one exchange basis together with other health-related supplies, prevention counseling and referrals to other social services including drug treatment, housing and mental health counseling.

Syringe exchange services have been available in Multnomah County for 12 years.  Rates of HIV among people who inject drugs in Multnomah County are lower than in other areas that do not provide these services.  Multiple studies have found that the cities with low rates of HIV infectioin started syringe exchange and prevention efforts early in the AIDS epidemic before AIDS could get a foothold among people who inject drugs. 

The National Institute of Health issued a report stating that exchange services do not increase needle injecting behavior nor encourage people to start injecting drugs.  Studies have found that users of syringe exchange were 5 times more likely to seek drug treatment than those who had never been to syringe exchange.  They also found that injectors who had attended a syringe exchange were more likely to remain in drug treatment. 

Syringe exchange and other harm reduction and prevention programming are part of the solution to the complex issues of drug use in our community.

On December 16, 2009, the Federal Government removed the ban on the use of Center for Disease Control funding for Syringe Exchange Programs based on the strong evidence that they are effective in reducing the spread of HIV and hepatitis and other drug related harm.

 

 

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
view in context