Senior Fellow in Religion and Public Policy makes 'The Conservative Case for Needle Exchange'

William Martin, Harry and Hazel Chavanne Senior Fellow in Religion and Public Policy at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, has once again delivered a stunning commentary on why needle exchange in Texas and why now more than ever. The article in today's Texas Tribune, "The Conservative Case for Needle Exchange," reminds Texans that needle exchange programs are an essential component in addressing addiction, helping people seek treatment for their addiction, and saving the state piles of money while decreasing the burden of disease.

In 2007 and 2009, Senator Bob Deuell championed syringe exchange in the Texas Senate. Martin recalls Deuell's support for syringe exchange as grounded in not only science, but also in compassion and Christianity.

'Sen. Bob Deuell, a conservative Republican and a practicing doctor, sponsored similar bills in both 2007 and 2009. "At one time," he recalled, "I was opposed, but I looked at the data. When people have disagreed with my vote, I've shown them the data and asked them, 'How could I argue with that?'" A fiscal conservative, Deuell also noted that syringe exchange makes good economic sense: "It costs us a fortune to treat HIV and hepatitis C. It's breaking the budget."

Deuell's support of needle exchange does not rest on science and economics alone. "I look at it from the Christian viewpoint," he said. "What would Jesus do? We need to show compassion and try to help. [Addicts] are God's children, too. When they need new needles, this puts them in touch with someone who might reach them. The very act of handing them clean needles says, 'Your life has value to me. I want you to know that we care about you. When you want to get off, we're here to help you.' If they're in a back alley, using a dirty needle, there's no chance of that."'

States that offer syringe exchange programs have significantly reduced the incidence of HIV among injection drug users.

'A Johns Hopkins study of the Baltimore City Needle Exchange found that, after six years in operation, the incidence of HIV in Baltimore decreased by 35 percent overall and 70 percent among the approximately 10,000 participants in the program. Even more striking, epidemiologist Don Des Jarlais, director of research at New York’s Beth Israel Medical Center and a leading expert on syringe exchange, reports that the incidence of new HIV infections among injecting drug users in New York City has dropped to less than 1 percent per year. "We appear," he said, "to be very close to eliminating injecting-related transmission in a city with over 100,000 injecting drug users." '

Thank you Mr. Martin for presenting the facts and reminding us that syringe exchange as disease prevention has had strong support, from Republicans, Democrats and Christians alike, here in Texas.

Read full article.

Representative Susan King signs on to HB 117 as Joint Author

Appropriations, House Administration (Procedural), and Public Health Committee member Susan King has signed on to House Bill 117. The Primary and Joint Authors of HB 117 reaffirm that providing counties with the option of allowing disease prevention outreach programs that address the consequences of injection drug use at the point of preventing further transmission of deadly disease remains an issue with strong bipartisan support here in Texas:

• Primary Author, Rules and Resolutions (Procedural) Chair Ruth Jones McClendon; and
• Joint Authors Appropriations Subcommittee on Article II Chair Doctor John Zerwas,
• County Affairs Chair Garnet F. Coleman, and
• Appropriations, House Administration (Procedural), and Public Health Committee member Susan King.
  

A sincere thank you to Representative King, a Registered Nurse and staunch supporter of disease prevention outreach programs!

Representative Garnet Coleman signs on to HB 117 as Joint Author

County Affairs Chair and Public Health Committee member Garnet Coleman has signed on to House Bill 117, by Representative Ruth Jones McClendon. Representative Coleman has been a strong supporter and champion of HIV disease prevention outreach programs. A heartfelt thank you to Representative Coleman!

HB 117 referred to House Committee on Public Health

House Bill 117, by Representative Ruth Jones McClendon, received its first reading and was then referred to the Committee on Public Health. Representative John Zerwas, Public Health committee member, signed on two weeks ago as joint author. Representative Zerwas, along with five other members of the current Committee on Public Health (Vice Chair Elliott Naishtat, Chair Garnet Coleman, Chair Veronica Gonzales, Representative Susan King, and Chair Vicki Truitt), voted in favor of the same piece of legislation when it came before the committee last session.

New Mexico Department of Health reduces disease through needle exchange program

The New Mexico Department of Health's needle exchange program has been tasked with reducing new cases of AIDS in New Mexico since 1998. The New Mexico Harm Reduction Act was passed in 1997 to reduce the spread of blood borne diseases that are transmitted by the reuse of needles and/or syringes. In addition to promoting public health by reducing the number of cases of deadly disease, such as HIV and hepatitis C, the program is keeping communities safer by minimizing the number of improperly discarded syringes found in parks and playgrounds. As part of its harm reduction and needle exchange services the Department of Health also offers hepatitis screening, hepatitis A and B vaccinations, overdose prevention training, health promotion and disease prevention education, primary medical care and drug treatment referrals.

The purpose of the program according to Dave Daniels, an HIV educator in Las Cruces, New Mexico is 'first is to get possible infected needles out of the community and the second is to develop trust with the participants so when they are ready to start fighting the addiction, they have a person to turn to whom they trust.'

New Mexico has also had extensive support from law enforcement. A powerpoint presentation by Sonny Leeper, former Captain of the Albuquerque Police Department, explains the New Mexico Harm Reduction Act of 1997 and explains how needle exchange helps protect police officers from the risk of needlestick injury.

Read more about needle exchange in New Mexico here.