Turn your needles in for free crack pipes.

[~~whimsy~~]

For more than 20 years, local heroin addicts have relied on a collection of needle exchanges for clean works. But in recent months, crack users too have quietly found an outlet in the city.

In a nondescript alley in the University District, users can pick up clean crack pipes, pipe filters and ascorbic acid for injecting crack. Heroin users can also pick up a drug that reverses a heroin overdose -- an apparent first for a city needle exchange.

"We take a different philosophy approach than most government institutions or public health departments. They have a budget, and have to pick and choose who they're going to help," said Shilo Murphy, executive director of the non-profit People's Harm Reduction Alliance, which runs the U-District needle exchange.

"We say this is our community, this is our neighborhood, and we should decide what we have at the table."

The exchange, which celebrated 20 years in the neighborhood this week, has come a long way from its roots -- when a man named Bob walked the Ave. and dispensed sterile needles from his backpack.

These days, the largely volunteer-driven exchange, which serves 400 to 600 people a month, is better known for branching ahead of its peers in the harm reduction world.

Public health officials know of no other local program that gives out crack kits or Naloxone, the heroin-overdose reversal drug. But they see the potential benefits.

Just as sterile syringes reduce the spread of HIV and other diseases, new and unbroken glass pipes are believed to prevent lip cuts and the spread of hepatitis strains. Rubber tips and new filters ward off mouth burns. Ascorbic acid helps prevent users from using lemon juice to dissolve cocaine rocks into an injectable liquid -- a common practice that can lead to fungal infections.

"Our program is primarily an HIV prevention program," said Michael Hanrahan, manager of education and prevention services of the HIV/STD program with Public Health -- Seattle & King County. The agency, which runs four exchange programs, has watched the demand for clean needles surge from 1.8 million in 2006 to nearly 3.4 million last year.

Hanrahan said research has documented HIV transmission from dirty needles, but he wasn't aware of rigorous studies showing disease spread via crack sores.

"But it's certainly theoretically plausible," he said.

Last year, the Legislature passed a law allowing lay people to legally administer Naloxone, which counters the effects of an opioid overdose. Hanrahan said Public Health is interested in giving the drug to users, but because it is a prescription drug, the agency first needs to work on protocols with the state Board of Pharmacy.

At the People's Harm Reduction Alliance - partially comprised of former users who run a table at Northeast 43rd Street and University Avenue Northeast - there is less need to follow protocols and studies.

The program began giving out crack kits a few months ago, after staffers felt the need to support crack users, who still make up a major local drug trend, according to a recent University of Washington study.....

......"We believe all drug users should have the right to not get diseases and have the ability to prevent diseases."

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/424627_needleexchange05.html

:wtf:

Way to enable junkies!

 

[biomech]

Now isn't that wonderful.
Why try to solve the problem, just make sure they have clean equipment to do it with.

 

[maildude]

Better than the alternative.:2 cents:

 

[~~whimsy~~]

If they overdose at least they won't overdose with HIV. :hatsoff:

 

[Moonchild22]

No one gets HIV from sharing a marijuana pipe. Just sayin.

 

[Mayhem]

This is, of course, an issue with two polarized sides to it. My opinion is that junkies are going to be junkies whether they are enabled or not. If anyone has a solution to addiction, they're keeping it quiet. So, let's try to head off the spread of some pretty nasty viruses. And, considering that viruses mutate and evolve, I'd rather not see what crack-head incubated hepatitus looks like.

 

[squallumz]

im for these programs. they are gonna do that shit anyway and this greatly reduces the risk of transmission of hiv between them all. like martha stewart says, "its a good thing."

 

[Moonchild22]

This is, of course, an issue with two polarized sides to it. My opinion is that junkies are going to be junkies whether they are enabled or not. If anyone has a solution to addiction, they're keeping it quiet. So, let's try to head off the spread of some pretty nasty viruses. And, considering that viruses mutate and evolve, I'd rather not see what crack-head incubated hepatitus looks like.

This is a good point. I mean, when I first heard about this story, I had the same reaction as most people.
But let's face reality:
Do we really think the risk of disease is going to keep addicts from doing their drugs? They will do them regardless. So anything that can be done to slow or eventually stop the spread of disease is a good idea.
It doesn't really "help promote drug use".

 

[DJCowboy]

How come there isn't a program like this for alcohol!? When I run out, I don't want to spend my hard earned money on it! I want it for free!!

 

[squallumz]

How come there isn't a program like this for alcohol!? When I run out, I don't want to spend my hard earned money on it! I want it for free!!

no shit. im down to my last 6 and im startin to jones man. I NEED MY FIX!

 

[LukeEl]

Turn in your needles for a free crack pipe, might as well trade in knives for sticks of dynamite with a lit fuse.

 

[D-rock]

If somebody was evil and diabolical and wanted to solve the spread of infectious diseases among drug users they could hand out equipment that was either poisoned, would assure they overdosed, or hurt them enough they died. Not only would you help stop the spread of them and help keep new ones from forming, but you would also solve the problem of all those people doing drugs.

I'm not evil or diabolical, though I don't really like doing anything to enable drug use out of principle. If they screw up and make stupid decisions that hurt them they have to live with their own choices.