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Nancy Smith

Needle Exchange Pilot Lifts Off, Big Boost to Halt Transmission of HIV/AIDS

February 11, 2016 - 2:00am

Incredible, isn't it, that Florida, the one state a needle exchange program is needed most, doesn't have one?

Florida is now the state, and Miami the city, with the highest rate of HIV infections in the country. An uncomfortable little fact from the Florida Medical Association.

It's hard to think of a worst kind of advertisement for our family-friendly, Fresh-from-Florida image.

But that could be turning around. This session the Florida Legislature is doing something about it, thanks to HB 81 and companion SB 242 -- bills sponsored by Rep. Katie Edwards, D-Plantation and Sen. Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens. The legislation would introduce a needle exchange program in the Miami area -- a five year pilot program.

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Sally Heyman, Sen. Oscar Braynon and Rep. Katie Edwards at Tuesday's press conference
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Sally Heyman, Sen. Oscar Braynon and Rep. Katie Edwards at Tuesday's press conference

A needle exchange program works like this: Injection drug users turn in their used (and possibly HIV-contaminated) needles and syringes and get sterile equipment in return. No, this is NOT an opportunity for a freebee needle to facilitate a deadly habit. The exchange program not only saves a drug user, it keeps children from stepping on contaminated needles on the street and is a measure of safety for first responders. It offers counseling, safer-sex education, HIV testing and referrals to drug treatment programs -- plus an accounting of needles and syringes distributed and in storage.

Most important, in Florida it will operate with the blessing of the state Department of Health and Surgeon General John Armstrong.

Edwards jumped the first and perhaps tallest hurdle on the road to passage Wednesday when the House Judiciary Committee overwhelmingly moved HB 81 forward. Next stop: Health and Human Services Committee.

"Think of it," Edwards told the committee, "this year, in just one year, we've seen a 23 percent increase in HIV/AIDS."

Called the Miami-Dade Infectious Disease Elimination Act (IDEA), the bills authorize the pilot program run by the University of Miami and its affiliates to offer what the Florida Medical Association describes as "free, clean, and unused needles and syringes as a means to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne diseases among intravenous drug users."

Thirty states beat Florida to it, folks. Thirty states have a legal syringe exchange program (SEP) where injection drug users safely exchange used syringes for clean ones. Better late than never for the Sunshine State.

Medical student Chanelle Diaz, described to the committee the explosion of HIV/AIDS cases at Jackson Memorial Hospital. "What we see every day would be a public health emergency anywhere else," she said. Miami-Dade County has more than 10,000 injection drug users and more than one in five is HIV positive. At least one-third has hepatitis C. Why the sudden increase in new HIV/AIDS cases? Doctors say it's because the attorney general's war against pill mills has been so successful, addicts turned to injecting drugs as a substitute.

Why a pilot and not a statewide program? Because a pilot program can run at NO COST to taxpayers. None. For 60 months all funding will come from private sources -- grants and donations. In the end, the savings -- as experienced in SEP programs elsewhere -- should be through the roof.

The cost of a sterile syringe can be as little as 97 cents. The FMA claims the estimated lifetime cost of treating an HIV positive person is between $385,200 and $618,900. Want a shocking FMA fact? If 10 percent of new cases of HIV in injection drug users in Miami-Dade had been prevented, it would have represented a savings of $124 million in HIV treatment costs to Florida.

As bad a problem as Miami-Dade and even Broward have, in Europe Amsterdam's was worse. It once had one of the world's highest rates of injection drug use and one of the worst drug-associated HIV epidemics. No more. Amsterdam's now-long-established needle exchange program has virtually eliminated HIV transmission there. Consider how remarkable that is, say medical researchers. It's quite a story.

Needle exchange programs in New York City have reduced HIV infections to about 150 a year out of 150,000 injection drug users. That is very, very close to zero, Johns Hopkins researchers say, pointing out that most of the remaining infections may be due to sexual transmission, not needle drug use.

What's not to like about this legislation? Sadly, intravenous drug use is prevalent all over Florida -- in fact, all over the United States. Think about it. How many families do you know who haven't been touched by this kind of drug use? Here's an opportunity to keep loved ones safe, get them help, keep our communities safe and at the same time save taxpayers literally millions of dollars.

More than 20 organizations besides the state Department of Health -- from the Florida Medical Association to the AIDS Institute, from the Florida Hospital Association to the Florida Academy of Family Physicians --  all support HB 81 and SB 242. Many of them cheered Wednesday's vote.

Parent advocate and project director for the Suncoast Harm Reduction Project, Julia Negron, said, “Clean syringes would have prevented my son from contracting Hepatitis C. We must pass these reforms this year for the simple, moral reason that syringe exchanges save lives. Myself and my fellow parent advocates finally feel as if the Legislature is on the precipice of taking this step, thanks to the tireless effort of IDEA’s House and Senate sponsors, Rep. Edwards and Sen. Braynon.”

Literally dozens of Miami-Dade officials, firefighters, organization leaders and friends of the cause drove more than 400 miles to Tallahassee to stand with Edwards and Braynon at a Tuesday press conference, trying to get the Legislature's attention on these bills that look like no-brainers to me. This year should be the year Florida fights back against the uncomfortable FMA facts and the grim truth about its HIV/AIDS problem.

Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith

Comments

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Breeze, where are your stats to support your tea head rant. They sited real, positive stats to support doing this. Near elimination of the spread of HIV in some areas. If this isn't stopped, guess who foots the bill for the HIV drugs? taxpayers, like me anyway, who pay a ton of taxes... I would also push for treatment to try to get these people off the drugs, cause if there are buyers, there will be sellers. That may be a bigger risk to your "children" and my children, than stepping on some used needle. This isn't "socialist drivel" as you say, it's common sense and good public policy...

"...tea head rant ?..." I'm a Democrat, and I suspect, from your verbiage, that you are too (maybe even an enabling politician "smoking" your South Florida constituents). "Stats"?... Stats & polls are for politicians and 24 hour media outlets in order to sway the gullible and uninformed... As I already stated: "I've seen it all before, closely, for decades...including the "pie-in-the-sky" "needle exchange programs" put forward by "do-gooder" politicians (mostly Democrats) of the same ilk as our president who thought selling guns to Mexican Drug Cartels was a splendid idea too ("Fast & Furious"). "balance of power",..you're a fool if you believe that this "program" is not a manipulated issue destined to fail with unintended consequences becoming the "news" 'down the road'. I'll save MY children; you, and your ilk better think about saving everybody elses'.

For crying out loud! Dirty or new Contaminated Heroin needles laying around with HIV or what ever and hay, isn't HIV one of those excuses for MM if a doctor says it's okayed. Florida one of the largest Heroin using States? No excuse now for that not allowing Florida State Run Dispensaries for clean Marijuana so a citizen or two can purchase marijuana legally and enjoy in the privacy in their own home and bother no one. The cat is out of the Bag. Heroin!

You'll be sorrryy! Why rhe new increase in HIV/AIDS ??.. Because South Florida has a NEW increase in Third World "Illegal Invaders" ! (...and you get YOUR "expert" information from "medical STUDENT" ?!?!? Well, here's 'expert' advice from someone who's "seen it all before"....Don't let your kids walk barefoot on South Florida beaches ! ("drugees" don't care where they throw their garbage, or their "old" needles ! This "program" is just more socialist "feel good" drivel to help make politicians and media outlets fool themselves into thinking they are providing a "public service" (unfortunately it is always "enablement assistance" to the "abusers" of our society... This proposed program is nothing new; BUT you will never hear of the innocent people who are injured by it... The unforseen consequences go unreported, and unnoticed...intentionally, because it's bad and contrary negative publicity. Watch where YOUR kids play !

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nancy smith
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