Missouri is reportedly one of the last states that has not yet legalized needle or syringe exchange programs. These programs allow drug users to get clean and unused hypodermic needles and associated paraphernalia at little or no cost.
Rachel Winograd, a University of Missouri-St. Louis assistant professor, told a Missouri House committee this week that not legalizing such programs is to the state’s detriment.
“What we have found over decades of research on syringe programs is that people who utilize them are actually more than five times as likely to get connected to treatment than people who are using drugs and not using syringe service programs. They’re also more likely to decrease drug use,” said Winograd.
Legislative bills have been filed for many years to legalize needle and syringe exchange programs.
“Syringe service programs decrease rates of HIV and Hepatitis C acquisition, which really saves money over the long term, hugely. Syringe service programs are really cost saving if you look at all the societal and public health benefits,” said Winograd.
She said these programs are a non-judgemental, safe place for drug users.
“This is the place they’re going to go, because they know these people have stood by them for years no matter what. So it might be a long game, but like that is the way that we work as humans. We look for safety and comfort and compassion, and when we find it, it helps meets our needs in a way that we were trying to get drugs to meet our needs previously,” she said.
Winograd presented her research findings this week to the Missouri House Committee on Health and Mental Health. A separate House task force charged with addressing the state’s drug use crisis continues its work to find ways to combat addiction problems.
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