We Can Stop OD’s and HIV Infection in Heroin Users
Need help? Call our 24/7 helpline. 855-933-3480

We Can Stop OD’s and HIV Infection in Heroin Users

0
Share.

Imagine if you saw a kid with a peanut allergy gasping for air and on the verge of death after eating a Snickers Bar, and you had an Epi-Pen in your back pocket, but you decided not to give the kid the shot because “It’s up to the parents to take care of the kid.” Or what if you had a vaccine that would prevent the spread of HIV and, instead of handing it out to prevent the infection, you held on to it so those who had unprotected sex could learn a lesson?

Sounds pretty malicious, even sadistic, right? Well unfortunately, that’s what some people are doing when it comes heroin users.

Is the Only Solution Abstinence?

Under the guise of “trying to not encourage the use of heroin,” some lawmakers are balking at implementing needle exchange programs that can help stop the spread of HIV among intravenous heroin users. (Such programs offer IV users somewhere to dump their used needles and receive new clean ones.) This argument is almost exactly the same as the stance religious conservatives sometimes take in objecting to handing out condoms or discussing birth control with teens—they don’t want to encourage kids to have extramarital sex, so they shelve education about safe sex to the detriment of many hormonal teens.

It’s the same thing with needle exchange programs and Narcan—a drug that can resuscitate someone who’s overdosed on heroin. Some cops and emergency workers are carrying around kits with the drug in case they stumble across a heroin overdose victim, but not every cop or fireman or paramedic is required to carry it. And though the FDA just rushed approval for a version of Narcan that work much like the Epi-Pen does for food allergies, something a heroin addict can keep on them at all times in case they OD, it still requires a prescription, which is not necessarily something the average heroin addict can get their hands on.

So why would anyone be against these needle exchange programs or Narcan?

Enter the Right Wing

Unfortunately for the logically-minded, conservative politicians are clamoring to bring back the War on Drugs to curb the heroin crisis, which means unleashing the dogs on everyone involved in the process of getting heroin to users, be they the smugglers, the dealers or the users.

It’s true that opioid use has boomed in recent years, and IV use of heroin has also soared, with deaths from overdoses doubling in just five years. Some criticize the Obama administration for treating non-violent drug crimes more leniently and perceive Narcan and needle exchanges as a Band-aid solution.

“[A]dministering antidotes is not a strategy unless we address the underlying contaminants causing the disease,” former US “drug czars” William Bennett and John Walters wrote in The Boston Globe. “In the case at hand, that cause is the growing supply of cheap, potent heroin.”

But statistics show that the majority of heroin addicts—if they stay alive—do eventually give up the habit. Perhaps it will take longer to see the benefit of Narcan and needle exchanges, but ultimately they may do more to curb death through overdoses or AIDS than any drug warrior ever will. If nothing else, they should be championed as a solid step toward saving one more addict’s life. Let’s hope politicians don’t try to put them out to pasture.

Any Questions? Call Now To Speak to a Rehab Specialist
(855) 933-3480
Share.

About Author

Tracy Chabala is a freelance writer for many publications including the LA Times, LA Weekly, Smashd, VICE and Salon. She writes mostly about food, technology and culture, in addition to addiction and mental health. She holds a Master's in Professional Writing from USC and is finishing up her novel.