Is it the exchange of dirty hypodermic needles for clean ones, or the sale of clean ones necessary for our society? The exchange of dirty hypodermic needles for clean, or the sale of clean ones is very necessary and important because our society is in need of solutions on how to prevent and decrease the big amount of infections and death that these type of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis c are causing. A lot of people do not protect themselves as they should because of lack of information.
Many people think that HIV and many other diseases are spread only through sexual contact and not through needles that have been used and infected with these diseases appearing by others. I totally agree that the exchange between dirty hypodermic needles for clean ones, or sales of clean ones is going to provoke a huge positive impact in people’s life and health because they will be more aware of the damage that such negligence would cause if they are not well informed.
First, the exchange of dirty hypodermic needles for clean one, or the sale of clean ones it’s important because our society needs more solutions on how to prevent infections and diseases. Often we try to find and fix these types of problems before even looking where they coming from in order to create solutions for it. According by The Lindesmith Center, New York City by 1994, 125,000 people had developed AIDS as a result of injecting drugs with unsterile syringes and over a third of new AIDS cases stem from injection drug use.
There are many ways people can stop this big increment or at least prevent them. The best way you can prevent such infections or diseases is to stop injecting drugs or never start using them, go to programs where they can help you with these types of things such as substance abuse. If you continue to inject drugs, always use new, sterile syringes and never use more than once or share syringes, needles, water or other drug preparation materials.
Do not share toothbrushes, razors and other items that may be contaminated with blood. Tattooing or body piercing may also increase the risk of infection and always, always practice safe sex. Second, the exchange of dirty hypodermic needles for clean one, or the sale of clean ones program is need to create more knowledge to those people who still ignore the big consequences that the exchange of needle can cause to their life and health. We, as part of this society, must show greater interest in our health.
According to the Massachusetts statewide harm reduction coalition, this program of exchanging used dirty needles for new ones is a big step and it promises to provide these syringes through different courses and manuals explaining how and why it is best to do this instead of keep using the same needles that others might have used since these can cause infections and diseases to many more people. Also, it offered information and counseling about these diseases as how we can avoid them and prevent them, as also about drugs and sex among others.
However, many people are still against these types of programs because they think that instead of helping our society to reduce the large number of infected people caused by the mishandling of dirty needles injections with these programs, it will make them increase; According to them people will consume more and will became more addicted because of it. I do not agree with this kind of assertion because it is a complete lie that because of information and the exchange of a needle people will consume more, at least there is still nothing that can prove it.
In the other hand, there are many articles and studies that prove as the use of needle exchanges increases, the use of shared needles decreases according to the Lindesmith Center, New York City. In conclusion, I think the exchange of dirty hypothermic needle to clean ones, or the sale of clean ones is very important for us and our society because along with this, people will be more safe and well inform since the lack of information that some of us have according to these type of situations.
Many people get infected because of their negligence for example, tattooing with needles that have been used by others or as most cases injecting drugs using the same syringe of another person. In the future, if these type of issues continue without something that can stop it or at least prevent it like the program that a lot of states have “exchanging a dirty hypodermic needle for a new one” the amount of people infected will be much greater than we think.