Clean syringes seem counterintuitive to fentanyl fight. But needle exchange saves lives.

Opponents of SSPs argue that they enable drug use and make neighborhoods less safe. However, when
implemented according to best practices, there is actually plenty of evidence to the contrary.
Dr. Jerome Adams and Mazen Saleh  Opinion contributors USA TODAY

It can seem counterintuitive to provide clean syringes to individuals who inject drugs. After all, why make it easier to consume illicit substances that are increasingly resulting in overdoses?
In the fight against fentanyl, however, a clean syringe can be a lifesaving connection. We might not be able to stop every overdose, but if we can provide a tool to forge those connections and make illicit drug use safer, then we should.

Colloquially known as syringe services programs, SSPs aim to reduce infectious disease transmission acquired from shared needles. In this regard they are undeniably effective, yielding a 50% reduction in HIV and hepatitis C transmission.

Syringe exchange programs are certainly not without controversy, but having been around for more than three decades, SSPs are neither novel nor lacking in evidence of their public health efficacy and societal cost savings.

TO CONTINUE READING: ​https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2024/04/03/fentanyl-opioid-epidemic-syringe-services-harm-reduction/73169725007/