LANCASTER SUNDAY NEWS
In “Reduce HIV by trading syringes with addicts?” Columnist Jeff Hawkes writes:
“Fighting the spread of HIV and other illnesses is Mikal Byrd’s job. A battered Nissan Maxima is his office. His supplies include syringes, tourniquets, bleach and condoms.
“On a recent Wednesday morning, Byrd and co-worker Jennifer Gonzalez set up shop on West King Street, across from McDonald’s. They hoped to speak with intravenous drug users and sex workers, give away injection paraphernalia and safe-sex kits and encourage addicts to enter treatmen
“Byrd and Gonzalez are outreach workers for Lancaster Harm Reduction Project Inc., a privately funded syringe-exchange program that hit the streets in November…”
WATCHDOG: Two wags of the tail for the Sunday News. The Lancaster Newspapers have long been supportive of drug and social disease harm reduction efforts, at least since well over a decade ago when a Steinman Foundation sponsored a local address by then mayor of Baltimore Kurt Smoke, a leading harm reduction advocate.
As a recovering intravenous drug user, I can say that this work saves lives, and likely saved mine. An active junkie is going to shoot up whether the needle is clean or not. It’s not a choice when you’re strung out. A clean, unused needle is the difference between living and dying.
Some say, “So what, they’re only addicts. They deserve to die.”
That is true, we are addicts. But we are also more than that. We also have families that love us. A dirty needle changes not just the dead addict’s life, but those who love him. That is preventable with syringe exchange and other harm reduction measures.
My hope is that the after being featured today in the Sunday News that the health community in Lancaster — led by Lancaster General Health — would intelligently focus on keeping our community healthier.
We all benefit from that.
Honorable work by unsung heroes.