Clear to partly cloudy. Low 79F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 79F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.

This legislative session, I supported legislation that would have exempted syringe exchange programs registered with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services from criminal wrongdoing for distribution of drug paraphernalia.

I would like to use this space to discuss what syringe exchange programs are, why they are important and what this specific legislation did and did not do.

Syringe or needle exchange programs were first pioneered in 1983, guided by the principle of harm reduction. Harm reduction is a concept that focuses on engaging directly with drug users to prevent infectious disease transmission and overdoses, while also improving the well-being of these individuals by connecting them with treatment resources. Syringe exchange programs provide new sterile needles to drug users in exchange for their used needles. This eliminates drug paraphernalia debris that is hazardous to first responders and community members, while also decreasing bloodborne infection transmission among drug users.

Additionally, the exchange provides a point of contact during which drug users are educated about options for addiction treatment and other medical resources available to them. Since their inception, the efficacy of syringe exchange programs has been studied extensively. Today, there is an overwhelming body of evidence showing that these programs achieve their goals without negative consequences. Research shows that individuals who use syringe exchange programs are five times more likely to initiate treatment than those who do not. These programs have also been shown to successfully decrease HIV, hepatitis C and other bloodborne infections among drug users. Needle exchange programs have reduced HIV transmission in the United States by at least one-third.

Across the United States, and especially in Missouri, there is a need for programs such as these, which have been proven effective in reducing bloodborne infections and drug usage.

In America today, there are more than 950,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, 35% of which can be linked to injection drug use. Hepatitis B kills roughly 6,000 people per year, and hepatitis C kills nearly 10,000. In Missouri, drug overdose is the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 18 and 44. Additionally, the ongoing opioid epidemic has seen drug usage rates increase over the past two decades and as such, it is imperative we seek creative solutions to keep Missourians as safe and healthy as possible.

The legislation I supported this year would have exempted entities facilitating syringe exchange programs from the crimes of distributing or delivering drug paraphernalia. For this exemption to apply, the entities must be registered with the Department of Health and Senior Services and must not be located within a quarter-mile of a school.

Needle exchange programs already operate in several counties across the state, but this law would have provided them legal protection.

What this legislation did not do is provide any state funds for the distribution of needles or for the operation of needle exchange programs. This legislation is also not partisan. Syringe exchange programs have been a part of all the recent administrations’ national public health plans, including Donald Trump’s plan for ending the HIV epidemic. They are a proven public health tool, not something to use as a political football.

Individuals seeking to further their own political ambitions have called my support for this legislation a vote for “free drug needles for addicts.” Not only is that statement misleading as to the content of the legislation, but it is also dehumanizing of those who struggle with addiction, and it is disrespectful of those who dedicate their time and effort to this cause.

We need commonsense policy that uplifts Missourians, but that can only be achieved if we put aside hollow rhetoric and personal political ambitions.

Bill White is a state senator from Joplin. 

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