This Is Why: Poignant Words from Off the Streets Discussion Board

OK...as an X-IV drug user, I wil tell you first hand that we need to have clean needles available. Personally, I cannot count how many times I have shared works, just to not be sick!!! And that is someting I said I would NEVER, EVER do...as we all know, addiction is a disease of progression, and we will do whatever it takes to secure our fix. I recall picking up discarded works from the side of the street, and in gutters...horrible...I am grateful to have 2 years free of heroin now! I know to be cautious, all I have regained that was once lost could be lost again faster than one could ever imagine...we will not stop drug use all together...but we can provide the equipment needed to ensure drug use that will not spread the diseases of HIV and HEP C. I was active for 10 years and I did contract HEP C...by the grace of the Goddess (in which I choose to believe)...I am HIV negative...How this happened, I can only say that I was pulled from a life of degredation and pain...and I will be grateful for everyday that I have here on Earth...SOBER and CLEAN... I firmly support making needle kits available to help ensure public safety. I am not supporting drug use, but...an addict will stop at nothing to get what they need at that moment in time...why can't we make it just a little safer? Thanks for listening... 

(from Off the Streets Facebook Discussion Board, November 2009)

Using and Reusing and Reusing and Reusing and Reusing and Reusing...

This is a fabulous image of what a needletip looks like after reuse. Imagine that needle goin' in time and time and time again. Some of the syringes we picked up over by Mono were in baaad shape ... can only imagine how many times they were used. The thing is this: the more times a needle is used, the more thrashed it gets, the greater the chances of other problems such as abcesses and vein trauma, the more pressure is put on the system to treat, and the more chances exist for disease to spread. The list of reasons for sterile syringe access goes on.....

Research Disparity: County Hep C & Injection Drug Use Data Falls Short

Stanislaus County estimates 25-30% of injection drug users have Hepatitis C. But national data reflects 60 - 90% of injection drugs users have Hepatitis C. Hmmmm... if this is the data that the powers that be are relying on for our county we have a problem. Clearly this is not accurate information. Limited data such as this cannot be allowed to be a determining factor in our leaders' decisions around syringe exchange authorization. It is totally ridiculous that data such as this can even be considered close to reliable.

• What does the National Institute of Drug Abuse have to say about IDUs and Hep C? Click here for the first link, and then here for the second.
• For those of you who like research studies, click here for an interesting article about young IDUs.
• Don't know much about Hepatitis? Click here to be connected to the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Browse around the site to get their take on syringe access and disposal issues.

There is a ton of information out there. A good place to further your inquiry is through the 'Important Links' section on the lower left column of this blogspot.