Safe injection sites

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fourpawsonthefloor
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Post by fourpawsonthefloor »

How do you feel about these? For those of you not familiar with the term, these are buildings/areas where you can exchange needles for clean ones and shoot up without being arrested. They are designed to keep used dirty needles out of the parks and other areas, to try and help stop the spread of disease through 'dirty' needles, ect.

I'm mixed, but I think I lean more for than against. For one thing, if you get some consistancy, perhaps you can try to help get some of these people out of that lifestyle. Clean needles hopefully help people from spreading things like hep c, aids and whatnot as much - as well as hopefully reducing the amount of abcesses and whatnot that you can get from contaminated needles. And anything, drop boxes ect, that keep needles from just being dropped where people get accidently stuck, is fab in my book.

On the other hand, its kind of in a way condoning the activity. Drugs destroy people. That's a hard bite to swallow, but the reality is, its not just as simple as punishing users. There are just so many reasons that some turn to this activity, which rarely is a simple fix.

So. You pro? Against? Why?

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littlebamf
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Post by littlebamf »

Yeah, I pretty much agree with you there on that. The fact they can get clean needles and have a place to drop their used one soff is good, as it does cut the risk of infections and with the used ones, well, I've nearly stood on syringes that've been just left on the path when I walk my dog, hence I don't let him go into the overgrown areas around the pond I walk him as he puts his face in everything and I dont want him to come out with a needle in his nose.

They can also get advice from the centres about looking after wounds and getting off the drugs if they want to, so again that's good.

Then again, it's bad as the places can act like a safety net, with people thinking they'll be cool as long as they use clean needles or whatever, so they carry on as it's 'safe'. They don't actively encourage people to use, but then again, they're not exactly actively discouraging in many way.
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Post by JSherlock »

PRO! OMG, YES! What a wonderful idea, help these people not spread disease, and cause more harm to themselves and others no matter what they shoot. I first saw this idea on an AIDS documentary, and I thought it was the most awesome thing ever.

Though it might seem like its condoning what they do, I think its more of protection for other people than the users. This way, there's a safe place to store and dispose of the used needles, so other people don't have to happen upon them by accident and get hurt.
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Saint Kurt
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Post by Saint Kurt »

Needle exchanges, in various forms, have been around since the 80s and I've always been very pro. Having grown up in a house with drug users and recently living in a homeless shelter, I'm still for them.

My home in Seattle was in a very heavy heroin use area. There were used syringes on the sidewalks all the time. It was where I walked and where I walked my dog. The presence of a nearby needle exchange meant that more syringes were picked up than left on the ground. When one started in our area, it made a big difference. It also had an educational element too with options for finding treatment, methadone maintenance, and medical care. The chances of getting HIV or hep C from an old discarded needle on the sidewalk are pretty much nil so it's not so much about protection as it is 2 things: 1) general cleanliness - a neighborhood full of discarded syringes is an eyesore and 2) access to the addict via "attraction rather than promotion" - they get hooked up with what they want, but they are also exposed to the possibility of changing their lives.

In the shelter, they didn't allow active drug users in for the night, but there were connections for them to get help if they wanted it. There were a number of users who still managed to get in. I'd say the greater danger was of them stealing your stuff for drug money vs. any diseases they might have transmitted.

Unfortunately, whether drug use appears condoned or not, it is still going to happen. Addicts will chose drugs over everything (families, homes, comforts...) if they are actively using. Needle exchanges don't encourage people to start, but they do provide for those who are already hooked. And unfortunately addicts are not too smart when it comes to drug use - it's amazing the kind of stupid decisions that get made in order to use. (For instance my mother likes to get high and she likes to drive, hence getting high and going for a drive must therefore be a good and enjoyable thing to do. She's had countless DUI's and had her license suspended. It's never her fault of course and she continues to do it. This is a woman with a master's degree in education. Brains or the idea that "now it's safe" have nothing to do with it. Drugs take over and they call the shots.)

So far, we have yet to come up with a truly successful way to rehabilitate addicts. The unfortunate truth is that for now, measures to protect general public health (both the addict's and the society they live in) is the best we can do.

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Post by Starfish »

I'm definitely pro about this, for all the reasons presented above. Addiction and injection will happen no matter what, regardless of fresh needles being available or not. So this is a very good idea, because it helps to prevent the spreading of dangerous diseases, gives others a chance to help addicted people by perhaps reaching them this way.
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