NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS ARE WORKING; NEED SUPPORT

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services has released
a report on the progress of the state's five needle exchange programs
(also referred to as syringe access programs). The findings are no
surprise: The programs reduced the risk of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis for
the people who used them by providing them with sterile syringes so
they do not have to share or reuse syringes. The programs acted as a
bridge to drug treatment and other social services. There were no
negative impacts on the communities the programs serve -- no increase
in crime, no increase in improperly discarded syringes.

Why are these findings no surprise? Because there is more than 20
years' worth of research on needle exchange programs, from around the
country and around the world, that has found them to be effective
public health interventions without negative consequences. Now, New
Jersey has independent confirmation that its own programs are
working. The success of these programs must be recognized, and New
Jersey must support them.

The report found that:

4,482 participants enrolled in the five programs between November
2007 and December 2009;

998 participants were successfully enrolled in drug treatment programs;

In Camden, 10 pregnant women were referred to drug treatment and
three women had given birth to healthy babies by the time the report
was released;

Seven mothers and their children were reunited through services
provided by the program; and

There was no increase in crime or improperly discarded syringes
associated with the programs.

The report stated, "The program is off to an excellent start and
serves a hard-to-reach population with tremendous promise in
preventing the transmission of blood-borne pathogens. Based on the
evaluation's findings, it is recommended that the programs continue."

The need to support effective HIV/AIDS prevention programs is dire.
New Jersey has the fifth-highest number of adult HIV cases, the
third-highest number of pediatric HIV cases and the highest
proportion of HIV infections among women in the nation. Despite these
tragic statistics, it took New Jersey 14 years to pass legislation to
allow for sterile needle exchange programs to prevent the spread of
HIV, hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases.

HIV/AIDS prevention experts and public health advocates fought for
years to get this life-saving legislation. Now, those same advocates
are fighting to keep the programs going. Despite the success of the
programs, the report noted that lack of resources was the biggest
challenge. None of the programs receives state money and all rely on
small grants from private foundations.

To date, programs have been established in Atlantic City, Camden,
Jersey City, Newark and Paterson. The programs have done everything
they were supposed to do, and more. They are on the front lines of
the fight against HIV, reaching the most at-risk populations. They
have filled every drug treatment slot they have been given. They are
providing HIV testing, basic medical care and other critical services
to the community.

But they are doing this critically important work without a penny of
support from the state.

Although New Jersey faces a tough budget situation, there is a way to
fund the programs through federal money provided to the states.
Congress recently lifted the ban on using federal money to fund
needle exchange programs -- and states are waiting for guidelines
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as to how federal
money might be used for needle exchange programs around the country.
New Jersey must use some of this federal money to fund these
life-saving programs.

The bottom line is that every time someone goes to a sterile needle
exchange program, it is one less chance he or she will get HIV or
hepatitis, and one more chance he or she will get access to medical
care, drug treatment and other social services. A clean syringe costs
about 10 cents. Lifetime HIV care costs more than $618,000.

There isn't a better investment the state could make. New Jersey's
sterile needle exchange programs save lives and save money. They
deserve support.