The shutdown of the needle exchange program in Orange County is a winning solution for a retrograde thought – Filter

Oone step forward, two behind. The day after a federal judge issued a groundbreaking order authorizing an incarcerated man to maintain access to methadone in Mbadachusetts, an injunction in California ended the Orange County Needle Exchange program.

The Needle Exchange Program in Orange County (OCNEP) is a non-profit organization established in 2016. Initially based in the Civic Center of Santa Ana, it was faced with constant opposition from the authorities local. It was closed in January 2018, when Santa Ana officials denied him a permit. Then, in August 2018, the California Department of Public Health authorized him to operate a mobile needle exchange program in Anaheim, Costa Mesa and Orange.

However, Orange County authorities sued the OCNEP, accusing it of throwing out syringes. On November 27, Judge Joel Wohlfeil, citing the lack of staff to pick up the garbage, despite praise for the "selfless dedication" of the OCNEP volunteers, said that "the seriousness of the harm outweighs. the social utility of the conduct of the accused ".

This statement and the resulting decision are questionable.

"Published scientific data has shown that needle exchanges do not increase the number of syringe waste," said an OCNEP press release on Nov. 28. . "

The statement also points out that there are much more constructive ways to deal with syringe waste that has not been supported. "We have proposed to intensify our syringe recovery efforts in our application to the Public Health Department of CA … Public health and syringe waste are not mutually exclusive. They are closely interwoven and syringe waste would be better handled through the creation of more public containers for sharps, additional needle exchange days, and increased collaboration between the OCNEP and the county. It serves ".

The operations will be suspended until a trial takes place in January 2019. In addition to the exchange of syringes, the OCNEP offers tests for HIV and hepatitis C, health services, housing and treatment on demand, as well as other supplies and information on harm reduction.

The Orange County position favors marginal and questionable public impacts over the long-standing effects of needle exchange programs on marginalized, life-saving populations.

"We believe the county's litigation provides clear evidence of its underlying position … the county chooses to ignore the lives and health of people who are opioid addicted, homeless or are otherwise underserved, "said the OCNEP. "In this unprecedented epidemic of opioids, the counties of the country are collaborating with their local needle exchange centers to combat this problem. Rather than follow their lead, Orange County officials have chosen to close their only needle exchange. "

The legal battle and the broader fight against nimbyism for harm reduction services will continue.

"For our customers, it has been an honor and a privilege to serve you over the past two years," said OCNEP. "Your health matters. Your lives matter. You deserve the opportunity to lead a healthy and safe life just as much as any other citizen of Orange County. We will continue to fight for you and for our ability to serve you with the dignity and respect you deserve. "