Unsterilized Needles: A Growing Concern for Drug Addicts Worldwide - Essay Sample

Introduction

Over the past decades, millions of drug addicts worldwide have used syringes and needles to inject heroin and cocaine into their bodies using syringes and needles. According to research findings, most of these drug addicts use unsterilized needles; it being difficult for new sterilized ones to come forth quickly (Marmor 358). These restrictions have forced the drug users to share needles, and this has resulted in a rapid spread of diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C to pandemic levels. The proliferation of these diseases raised a significant concern among communities in the late 1980s that some groups of activists initiated the campaigns to create awareness on the need for needle exchanges. This forced most of the governments around the world, including the United States, to start a program of purchasing and distributing uncontaminated and new syringes and needle to the drug users. Despite the fact the needle exchange program helped to combat the spread of various diseases, most of the opponents to the program claimed that the program was not a wise move from the government as it created an environment where people use and continuously abuse drugs even more. They said that by government funding, the buying and distributing of needles is like they are legalizing immorality and illicit behavior. According to the opponents, the government should focus on funding programs that help in treating those quitting drugs and also fight and punish drug abusers. Now a heated debate has arisen regarding the rationale of the program, where most people on the overall impact on the welfare of the country and societies. Many people word whether the program helps stop the spread of diseases or not or whether the program encourages drug use or discourage it in the communities. With such questions and numerous others, this paper will analyze the impact of needle exchange programs. The fact remains that this program is still very essential in our communities and country. I will discuss reasons as to why and why not to embrace this program and then give a final stand at the end of the research.

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Advantages of Needle Exchange Programs: Reducing Disease Spread and Helping Drug Users

Advocates of needle exchange programs assert that its benefits outweigh its drawbacks, with one key advantage being HIV/AIDS reduction. According to research done by Bluthenthal & Ricky, needle exchange programs reduced individuals' likelihood of coming in contact with diseases like HIV, Hepatitis C & B; 33% reduction of HIV prevalence cases was achieved within one quarter year of program implementation. It also indicated that there was a constant 18% of HIV in the cities which had adopted the program. In comparison, there was a 10% steady increase of HIV in the areas where the application had not been approved (Bluthenthal, and Ricky 154). Research from James shows that those people who have been integrated into the needle exchange program are capable of quitting the drug injection practices and remain in treatment compared to those who have not initiated the program (James 393). This shows that the NEP program is essential in fighting the spread of HIV and other diseases and redeems drug addicts from their practices. This is of significant impact on the nursing profession because through leveraging on the NEP program, and nurses can realize a health program that would help in reducing harm. Nurses should use their know-how in a right way in conjunction with the NEP to mitigate damage to individuals. They will not only impact lives positively by providing new needles but also they would have a chance to carry out counseling to the individuals. This will be supporting the harm reduction concept, which states that the "well being of an individual is of great importance."

Needle Exchange Programs and Their Impact on Public Health and Communities

Needle exchange program improves not only the welfare of the drug abuser and communities but also their residential areas and families. Ibrahim states that "NEP function on a one for one basis, and thus they help lessen the presence of infested needles in the roads, community playground as well as in the trash receptacles" (Ibrahim, and Lauren, 177). This means that through this program, most of the infected needles being thrown away by individuals after use will be reduced. Therefore protecting children who always play on an open playing ground and sanitization workers who help cleaning our areas of residence and are likely to get needle sticks accidents. Thus it can be concluded that this program helps in generally protecting the public from disposed of needles. And also, the country can reduce the burden for treating patients whose lives are at risk of being infected with diseases contracted through the sharing of needles. For example, according to James in his medical journal, he stated that "the United States could have stopped around 10,000 new HIV infections amongst its intravenous drug users between 1987 to 1995. If it heeded to the US activist groups, call for universal adoption of the Needle Exchange Program. This way, the US as a nation would have saved an estimated budget of around $500 to $600 million in healthcare cost" (James 396). Therefore, nurses should in the fight to campaigns for the program for the well-being of each individual.

Needle exchange program plays a very vital role in protecting families of drug users around the world. One of the key figures on the state, who was a Catholic priest and also an advisory council of the New Jersey Governor on aids, ones state that "countries should have the task to ensure that drug users who inject themselves with needles have easy access to the new and sterilized needles so that they will not only protect their lives but also protect their families' welfare and health" (Ibrahim 177). This opinion was based on the ground that most drug users have families, like babies, wives, and husbands, therefore if the government will abandon these groups of people, their partners who do not use these drugs will also be affected. For example, if drug users inject themselves with an infected needle, then it is likely to carry those diseases like HIV/AIDs to their partners so easily. This is a great impact on the profession of nursing because they will not only use the NEP strategy to reach these people and create awareness but also, they will form a network with their families and friends so that to come up with necessary health measures to help those drug addicts. Creating a bond with the family members of those drug addicts will help in the provision of the new and sterilized needles, and at the same time, provide medical help and rehabilitation. Being that needle exchange program helps to combat HIV/AIDs, and Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B, it should be an obligation of each community, county, city, and country should be obligated to support the program, to ensure health and safety of every family around the world (Belani, and Muennig 154).

Research done by Marmor shows that needle exchange program helps in the rehabilitating and treating the drug addicts. Most of the drug addicts cannot refrain from the habit by themselves, however much they want to quit using drugs; therefore, most of the countries or tastes require them to register to the near rehabilitation centers or health centers for help (Marmor 190). Needle exchange program helps to bring these people to the health centers where they are not only able to receive sterilized needles but also, various measures such as counseling, rehabilitation, and treatment services to help them recover from the addiction. For example, each rehabilitation centers for drug addicts has located areas where needle exchange programs are offered to the drug users; thus, the governments use these centers as places to provide outreach programs and social services to the patients. This is an indication that the needle exchange program can help ensure that drug addicts groups of people are brought closer to social services and other essential outreach services.

Cultivating Positive Habits and Transforming Communities with Needle Exchange Programs

The use of needle exchange programs helps in cultivating healthful and positive habits than the habit of drug abuse. NEP program helps in encouraging positive thinking and habits, through paving pay from the cognitive-behavioral theory suggestions towards achieving acceptable behaviors that are beneficial to the drug users in the long-run. The cognitive-behavioral theory is a method where an individual is helped by an interventionist to achieve positive behaviors, characters, and goals that would help them to focus on succeeding in their lives other than using drugs (Health Resources and Services Administration 188). The needle exchange program acts as an intervention between drug users' habits and healthy living. The environment that the needle exchange program provides helps the drug user not to be depressed or to think of drugs, losing hope, or being in an environment where illegal behaviors may be practiced. NEP also represents an example of social advocacy that growing societies and charitable organizations support. It helps people who are handicapped or oppressed in society to overcome their problems and achieve a better place in life. The fact that NEP programs exist is an indication of a community spirit that portrays an image of love and concern for persons. The transformed drug addict can help in transforming other drug addicts from their practices. Thus, NEP programs aim to change the way that communities think and view drug users, for it helps drug addicts to start being responsible for people and be people with a purpose in their lives.

From the opponents' point of view, the needle exchange program increases crime. Strathdee argues that "needle exchange program escalates the crime level in Area of needle exchanges" (Strathdee 440). The reality of the matter is where there is a Needle Exchanges program, there will be increased use of different drugs, and this will increase the crime level. Where there is the increased use of drugs, there will be increased crimes like rape and prostitution, and this will lead to the spread of diseases like HIV/AIDs. Research in New York City shows that, when this program was introduced there, criminal cases like shoplifting and looting in trying to get cheap money for drugs increased (Marmor 360). These practices have jeopardized the welfare of communities, and most investors become afraid to invest in such areas due to insecurity, this leaves such areas more destitute than before, leading to the deterioration of the general economy of the country.

Opponents' Viewpoints: The Impact of Needle Exchange Programs on Crime and Morality

To the opponents, the introduction of a needle exchange program will lead to an increase of immorality in certain areas. For example, the rise of the use and sale of drugs in Chicago town has mainly been linked to the introduction of a needle exchange program (James 167). Offering new and sterilized needles to drug addicts is not the ideal way to fight drug addiction in the community. Places, where the needle exchange program is practiced the drug users and sellers; tend to escalate their level to using, distributing, and selling the drugs. Research shows that these drug users take advantage of the NEP program and encourage the use and distribution of hard drugs without the consent of the local police officers provided they operate with the needle exchange program zone (James 189). The use of various hard drugs has led to lots of many lives being lost and families breaking up. Therefore nurses should not only be involved in distributing the new needles but also they should be able to identify those who sell these drugs as they are the root cause of all the problems. Nurses should undergo intelligence training first, so they may find ways of cooperating with the drug addicts ton know the sources where they get the drugs and sellers of those dr...