Pros and Cons of the Clean Needle Exchange Program Free Essay Example, 1250 words

Moreover, for officers working in drug areas, one risk they face is contracting HIV or hepatitis from a needle stick. According to Baltimore police, NEPs have increased the likelihood that IDUs will inform officers that they possess needles prior to searches, reducing the possibility that an officer will get a needle stick. Risk to officers is further reduced because there are fewer dirty needles in the environment simply because IDUs exchange used syringes for sterile ones (O’Neill, Topolski, and Klinkenberg 13-14). Oppositions of NEPs advocate some interventions/policies to reduce illicit drug use instead. However, such policies may actually serve to increase HIV transmission among persons who inject illicit drugs. For instance, legal restrictions on the distribution/possession of needles and syringes. But these types of policies tend to cause shortages of injection equipment which lead to sharing. There would seem to be no rationale for implementing law enforcement interventions that do not reduce drug use but do increase HIV transmission (O’Neill, Topolski, and Klinkenberg 22). Research has shown NEPs offer a number of public health benefits in the prevention and reduction of IDUs’ exposure to HIV, HBV, HCV and other diseases (O’Neill, Topolski, and Klinkenberg 4). We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of the Clean Needle Exchange Program or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now O’Neill, Topolski, and Klinkenberg (4, 11, 16-18) documented an extensive account of the health benefits of introducing NEPs, including prevention of the spread of HIV and other blood-borne diseases via dirty needles (see for example Paone et al. 43-46). There is overwhelming scientific evidence that NEPs are a benefit (Signonssandeigo News Services, online) IDUs have a number of physical, psychological, and social problems. Injecting drugs makes the user vulnerable to becoming infected with infections and diseases, as well as overdosing and having higher mortality rates. These problems tend to isolate IDUs and limit their social network. IDUs often become difficult to reach through typical health and social service information channels. These persons often show up on police records or in emergency rooms and seldom receive preventive care or supportive social services (O’Neill, Topolski, and Klinkenberg 5). NEPs do not only give a needle and syringe to an IDU. They can provide a chance to engage the substance abuser and provide an assessment, immediate treatment, and referral to needed services. Therefore, they can provide a means of engaging a hard-to-engage population while serving as a portal to much needed health, mental health, and social services, as well as sending a message that the lives of IDUs are valuable (O’N eill, Topolski, and Klinkenberg 5,12).