Dirty Needles

The abuse of controlled substances is an on-going problem in this country. Each state has its own way of dealing with the issue of drug abuse. On the subject of needle exchange programs, the former applies as well. The entire country still hasn’t come to any consensus on whether or not to sanction used-needle to clean-needle exchange programs. The strongest opposing argument is that the availability of clean needles will encourage the continued abuse of illegal drugs. This may be valid, but it cannot be for certain that the availability of clean needles will encourage drug abuse. Cigarettes are available freely to anyone over the age of eighteen, but not every person smokes. The same is true with alcohol at the age of twenty-one. However, the availability of the needles makes the abuse possible, undeniably. Moreover, an equally potent argument exists to defend the opposite side.

Infectious diseases run rampant in the country as well. Some of those diseases affect the population in a way that can make drug abuse look like a petty issue. Take the example of HIV. HIV is a virus that is transmitted through fluid transfer. This can be done sexually, or through the use of needles. HIV is a virus that, as of right now, has no cure. The control of diseases that threaten whole populations is paramount to any other problem. Save one person, or save a million. That is the idea behind the clean-needle exchange program. The only way to spread diseases through the use of needles is to share them with infected people, or to use dirty ones. Enough people seek medical treatment for dirty-needle related cases in one year to justify the instatement of a clean-needle program. Not only would it reduce the cost of unnecessary medical care, but it would also reduce the risk of mass exposure to the diseases that can be transmitted through fluid exchange, making for a cleaner, healthier America.