Posted on December 13, 2013
Source: The Baltimore Sun
By Chris Beyrer
News that Congress reached a budget deal has been met with glee by D.C. pundits, but there is an unresolved issue on the minds of many in the Maryland medical community — will they see sense and lift the ban on federal funding for Syringe Services Programs (SSPs)?
Currently Congress refuses to provide us with one of the cheapest, most effective tools as we struggle against the spread of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C in our communities. In response, over 70 scientists and health practitioners from Maryland have written to Sen. Barbara Mikulski, asking her to help end the ban. Such action is essential not just for our state but for the country as a whole.
By providing sterile syringes to people who inject drugs, SSPs minimize the spread of both HIV and hepatitis C. Baltimore City has first-hand knowledge of their success, having had a locally funded needle exchange program since 1994. It has been pivotal in reducing HIV diagnoses attributable to injection drug use in Maryland. However, additional resources are needed in Baltimore and throughout Maryland as the crackdown on prescription drugs has led to a dramatic rise in heroin use because individuals switch to cheaper and more available drugs. More people in Maryland now die from heroin overdoses than homicide. Lifting the federal funding ban would encourage other jurisdictions in Maryland to establish their own SSPs and tackle these issues.
