Needle exchanges don’t boost drug use. They can help fight Missouri’s addiction crisis

Envision the last time you visited your pharmacy. You went through the front door. You had a mild cold or some allergies. There were bright lights and plenty of options available to meet your needs. Maybe there was even a security guard inside to make sure you were safe. A positive, routine experience. Normal.

Now, envision this: You don’t know where your closest pharmacy is or where to look to find it. Maybe one exists, but it’s 200 miles away. You can’t use the front door. You have to go to the back. There are still lights, but they no longer illuminate the decor or over-the-counter medications — only concrete. A security guard may be there, but now he watches you with a distrustful eye. Does this feel positive, routine or normal?

This is what many who live with addiction in the state of Missouri experience when trying to access necessary health care services, whether they’re in Kansas City, St. Louis, Bethany or Poplar Bluff. Needle exchange programs are necessary health care services — preventative medicine, no different from seat belts or bike helmets. Senate Bill 690, proposed by state Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, seeks to protect these services and increase access to them for many individuals throughout Missouri, regardless of location.

Contrary to popular belief, exchange programs do not encourage drug use. They connect people to health care providers. They offer testing and educational resources, all of which prevent the spread of viruses such as hepatitis C and HIV. They have been shown to reduce the stigma surrounding addiction, which increases the likelihood that people will seek treatment. Research has found that they reduce rates of crime in areas where they have been implemented, and that has, in turn, improved surrounding communities.

In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated 34,000 cases of opioid use disorder in Missouri, which was calculated to cost almost $7.6 billion. The average cost of an ambulance trip is $966 in St. Charles County, adding $15 per mile during transportation to the nearest hospital. And of the 220 counties in the United States most at risk for hepatitis C and HIV outbreaks, the 13 in Missouri are rural counties where hospitals and medical services are scarce. To make matters worse, rates of chronic hepatitis C have been increasing in Missouri, with most new cases occurring in people under the age of 40. This means a greater likelihood of health emergencies and increased health care costs in the coming years.

Hepatitis C is curable with medication, which can cost between $26,000 and $95,000, depending on the treatment. HIV is not yet curable, but there are medications available that slow its course. However, the average lifetime cost for HIV treatment ranges from $326,411 to $490,045. A great percentage of people who inject drugs are uninsured or covered under government-funded insurance such as Medicare or Medicaid, so the state, hospital or clinic must foot this bill. For other Missourians, this means increased taxes and hospital costs.

I would like you to envision one more thing: A young man overdoses and dies in his parents’ basement. After a few hours, his blue complexion and stiffened posture make him almost unrecognizable. His mother finds him first. This is not an isolated story. This happens to people living in communities across Missouri. The statistics do not emphasize how addiction affects those who care for the individual, the toll it can take on families and friends. It does not discriminate by sex, race, socioeconomic status or political agenda. It affects us all.

People who use drugs are human beings, so we must approach addiction treatment with compassion.Legalizing needle exchange services in Missouri is both evidence-based and ethical. It can save lives.

Support your fellow Missourian. Support S.B. 690.