It is a right of any human being to have access to the knowledge and tools needed to stay healthy.  For people who inject drugs one of these tools is a clean, sterile syringe.  Syringe access programs help decrease incidence of HIV and hepatitis C, they take dirty syringes off the streets preventing accidental needle stick injuries, they act as a bridge to substance abuse treatment, and they help to address health disparities in a group of people that many do not want to admit exist.  Syringe access programs do all this while not increasing drug use.

Clean Works is a syringe access program operating in the Grand Rapids area and serving our community for the past ten years.  One significant barrier to people who use drugs staying healthy that we’ve noticed over these past ten years is that in the state of Michigan syringe access programs are not legal everywhere they are needed.  We are very lucky to have the opportunity to legally exchange these tools of public health, sterile syringes, in Grand Rapids.  If we are serious about helping people who use drugs stay healthy, we should advocate for legal syringe access programs statewide, anywhere they are needed.

It just so happens that the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition is doing just this in their state.  Show you know that it is a human right for all people to have access to the knowledge and tools needed to stay healthy.  Sign a petition to legalize syringe exchange programs in North Carolina.

1. Nathaniel Pitt says:

   May 5, 2010 at 5:08 pm

   This is one awesome blog article.Much thanks again.