Needle Exchange Programs Argumentative Essay

The process of harm reduction also helps in reducing high-risk situations brought about by drug abuse, such as criminal behavior, and HIV exposure due to sharing of needles and paraphernalia, as well as risk of overdose. It also assists in

"With over a 100 people in the United States becoming infected with HIV, HCV, or HBV every day as a result of injection drug use”(Franciscus). Needle exchange programs were implanted for the purpose of reducing injection user’s risk of bloodborne diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis C and other sexually transmitted diseases. These programs “provide sterile needles in exchange for contaminated or used needles, increase access to sterile needles and to remove contaminated syringes from circulation in the community” (Vlahov 77). This program promotes a better outcome for these needle drug users. Although some argue that these types of programs are not being implanted to improve the community, but instead that they are promoting drug use by “feeding”

Another way to reduce drug abuse is by creating syringe exchange policies where users can take their dirty syringes and get clean ones in return. This not only decreases the disease transmission ("HIV/AIDS", 2018), it also lowers the stigma around drug use and provides a safe space where they feel welcome (Meyerson, 2017).

         Overall, the opioid addiction represents a serious issue in American society. The best solution in decreasing the number of overdoses is the low dosages of opioids provided by hospitals and doctors. In American society, this solution would be the best way to lower drug overdoses by providing alternative treatments without using

Death by overdose is not the only public policy concern, however, as millions of Americans are also addicted to prescription opioids. In fact, according to the Centers

Pharmaceutical drug overdoses were recorded as one of the leading causes of death in the United States, killing more Americans than firearms or motor vehicle accidents (Prescription Drug Abuse Statistics, 2013). Many patients are being prescribed these medications after surgery or after suffering an injury that may not require surgery and through overuse, causing these patients to become addicted. Although many feel that doctors are still overprescribing narcotics, this epidemic of prescription drug abuse has been brought to the forefront of national consciousness causing many prevention strategies of abuse to be put in place, strategies that were not presented in the past. The hope for these strategies is to curb the amount of unnecessary prescriptions being prescribed. Some of these strategies include educating and training physicians and doctors in the diagnosis and treatment of addictive diseases, specifically the abuse and misuse of controlled prescription drugs, as well as the implementation of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), which

The subject of homelessness is not universally discussed in society because many people are either ignorant or unwilling to get involved to help. Although it is taboo, every day people are faced with or see homelessness. Many times driving under freeway passes or through highly populated cities, the homeless population can be seen everywhere. California has the densest homeless population in the United States, which is Skid Row in Los Angeles. In the state of California, the effects of homelessness continue to be an ongoing challenge for not only citizens but law enforcement and elected officials. There are many causes for homelessness, but the biggest reasons include mental illness and incarceration, family and financial struggles, and substance abuse.

In “How About Low-Cost Drugs for Addicts?” (1995), Louis Nizer argues that drug addiction is a serious problem and we are losing the ability to gain control over drug addiction. Nizer suggests the government should create clinics that provide drugs free or at nominal cost and be staffed by psychiatrists. The benefits of the new approach will push the mob to lose the main source of its income, the drug dealers will run out of business, and the police or other law enforcement authorities would be freed to take care of other crimes. Nizer also believes that free drugs will win the war against domestic terrorism caused by addicts. On the other hand, Nizer provides some of the opposing arguments that providing free drugs would consign a person to

An immoral way would be to allow all people who overdose to die, with no chance of using Narcan to resuscitate them, thus causing widespread fear of the use of heroin and opiates. Narcan is a drug that is used to revive someone in the event of an overdose, but timing is critical, if you wait to long to administer the Narcan the person will die. A morally acceptable way would be to lower the amount of drug users. Doctors have taken a number of precautions such as limiting the amount of painkillers a patient can receive and even taking strong drugs off the market. These precautions have done very little to stop the use of opiates. Quinones states, “As the opiate epidemic mangled the middle class, these kids doped up and dropped out. Earlier generations of opiate addicts became self-employed construction workers or painters, because that was all they could manage with heroin, and often jail, in their lives” (274), which is a major problem America faces when trying to solve the opiate epidemic. If we educate the states about the addiction rates and potential danger of opiates, public opinion could shift, creating alternate solutions to solving the heroin epidemic in America. In order to lower the amount of opiate addicts the stigma that used to be associated with opiate use needs to return. The fear that used to surround opiate use was one of the only reasons opiates were not used as medication. As long as opiates are being used as a way to physically and mentally escape from pain, America will continue to suffer from opiate

Needle exchange programs are considered to be illegal in most states in America due to the social stigma that is the sterile syringes become available to the public then it will increase the rate of drug use. Despite the fact that all advantageous outcomes which are mentioned above, from needle exchange programs were scientifically proven by the research there is still a fear that by legalizing injection equipment the drug abuse would increase. Interesting that this argument still exist, because after numerous research no evidence were found that needle exchange programs will lead to increased drug injection (National Research Council ).

Imagine a life where someone is controlled by something that doesn't have a pulse, controlled by a substance that they can see ruining their life but for some reason they can't control the outcome. Substance abuse costs the health care system about $11 billion, with overall costs reaching $193 billion. That $11 Billion dollars could go to treating the addiction rather than treating the outcome, and instead of locking up low level drug offenders, we as a society should help them through their difficult time. And according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 27 million Americans, or 10.2% of the American population over the age of 12 reported using illicit drugs in 2014. 10% of our society is

How are the messages the same? How are they different? How is the use of visual imagery the same or different?

With the recent price increase for the life saving EpiPen many families are being forced to either pay the absurd amount for the drug or to risk their safety and go without one. This imperative device is a prefilled syringe that inject a small dosage of epinephrine into the thigh muscle which suppresses the immune system to open up the airways closed off by fatal allergic reactions such as bee stings or nuts. For 43 Billion people across Americans the EpiPen is a necessity to daily life. One that which many people now are deciding to go without.

The “Bluff” needle exchange program was a program that helped advocate AIDS and promoted a greater hygienic approach to drug use. In turn, this helped combat the transmissions of HIV. Because the Drug Paraphernalia Law made it illegal for people to carry needles, it caused people to turn to shooting galleries instead. For instance, instead of the law combating the use of drugs, the sharing of needles caused an increase in the spread of the disease. The “Bluff” is an interesting and thought-provoking concept because of the conflicting opinions about the program from the community. For example, is the program truly decreasing the number of people transmitting HIV with needles, or is the program further influencing the use of drugs and deteriorating the community? However, the documentary revealed that there were numerous drug users who dispose of their used needles, in order to obtain new ones. This scene demonstrated that people in the community are attempting to decrease the spread of the disease, and wanting to prevent HIV and AIDS amongst themselves. However, this not only reveals problems such as prominent drug use that the communities have, it reveals that are issues beyond AIDS and that AIDS is simply not an independent

The primary purpose of this article would definitely be informative as the author uses many statistics and facts to inform the audience how serious heroin addiction can be. The author mentions that “deaths from heroin rose to 8,260 in 2013.” That number has quadrupled since the year 2000. The rise of deaths caused from heroin cannot be ignored. The impact of heroin has spiraled out of