robert_childs's blog

Syringe Decriminalization: Diabetics Need Syringes Too

Syringe Decriminalization: Diabetics Need Syringes Too
As a diabetic, not having a clean syringe available for insulin injections is scary. I remember one time when I was visiting my parents and had forgotten to bring a clean syringe. My blood sugar was rising rapidly and I feared I would not be able to get insulin in my body fast enough to stop it from reaching a potentially deadly level. My partner and I frantically searched my car in hopes that somewhere I had stored a used syringe to be properly disposed of later. I was so frustrated that I had the insulin in my hand but without a means to inject the life-saving medication. When we eventually found one, the idea of a used syringe reentering my body felt strange, even if I knew I was the only person who had ever used it. I wondered how difficult it would be to force myself to use a syringe with an unknown history.

Drug overdose deaths in the United States have increased fivefold since 1990, claiming the lives of 27,658 Americans in 2007. After motor vehicle accidents, drug overdose is the second leading cause of injury death in the United States. In 2009, there were approximately 1,000 fatal drug overdoses in North Carolina, and nearly one-half occurred in people under the age of 40.

Harm reduction programs can help to prevent overdose fatalities by conducting education with drug users on risk factors for overdose, signs of an overdose, and how to respond to save a victim.

The Connection Between Law Enforcement, Needlesticks, HIV and Viral Hepatitis, by Ronald Martin

Ronald Martin works part-time as one of NCHRC’s Law Enforcement Safety Advocates. He is a former Detective Sergeant and is a dedicated, committed Law Enforcement Professional with over 20 years of experience.

I am a product of 20 years of law enforcement and have been responsible for hundreds of arrests. Through encounters with people from every ethnic, cultural, religious, and political group, I have had the opportunity to witness the very best in people, and unfortunately, sometimes the very worst. Through my decades of employment I have stayed focused and steadfast in my attempts to socially and tactically perform the correct actions to keep myself and those around me safe while not forgetting that I swore to serve and protect the people of my community.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition Law Enforcement Safety Training Program

The relationship between law enforcement and drug users is not always positive, but fortunately, that doesn’t have to be the case. The North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition (NCHRC) is working to bring drug users and law enforcement together by educating both groups on public health initiatives to protect each other from blood borne disease such as hepatitis C and HIV.

Today, March 21st, is: National Day of Action on Syringe Exchange

No more federal dollars for syringe exchange: that was the message from Congress less than 3 months ago.

The funding ban is back, and the timing couldn’t be worse — with tight state budgets, and signs that many painkiller users are injecting or switching to heroin, our nation's syringe exchange programs need more support than ever. The National Harm Reduction Coalition, the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition and our allies are pulling out all the stops this time to demand that Congress and the federal government set politics aside, and we need your help.

On March 21, we’re going to make our voices heard around the country. Local meetings with US Senators, media events to highlight issues, and a National Call-in Day sponsored by a dozen organizations will serve to highlight our opposition and commitment to not backing down.

What: National Day of Action on Syringe Exchange

Church and Sex Work by Rev. Lia Scholl

Ask any regular churchgoer about sex workers in the Bible, and they’ll jump directly to Mary Magdalene, even though there’s no biblical evidence that Mary Magdalene was a sex worker. The first person to mention it as a possibility was Pope Gregory the Great in 591 CE, more than 500 years after Mary’s life.

Nonetheless, there are sex workers in the Bible. There’s Tamar, who trades sex with her father-in-law, Judah, in order to have children, which would elevate her standing in society. Rahab, the madam who lived on the wall, protected Hebrew spies in Jericho. There’s even Esther, whose uncle Mordecai placed her in an Egyptian king’s harem, where she eventually became queen. Today, we might see Mordecai’s role as a pimp rather than a father figure.

Reposted with permission from the Harm Reduction Coalition

New Report Illustrates Positive Impact of Take-Home Naloxone Programs

Community Overdose Prevention Programs Save 10,000 Lives Since 1996

Needlesticks On The Beat
An Essay by Former Policewomen Jen “Crash” Earls

As a patrol officer with the Chicago Police Department the unknown was the most dangerous enemy I ever faced. I dealt with it many times in my 8 years on the streets.
But often it wasn’t the unkempt woman slumped over the steering wheel of her car at the red light. It was a well-dressed young woman with seven used needles in her expensive purse, driving a posh Lexus.

The Link Between Harm Reduction, Syringe Access and Addiction Recovery

Why are Sex Worker and Public Health Advocates Annoyed with Google?
Originally composed by SWAAY (Sex Work Activists, Allies and You)
Edited by Robert Childs, Executive Director of the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition