The Sunday News informative and extensive article “HIV cases on rise in county” conveys information from government agencies and Lancaster General Health. It comprehensively describes the illnesses, potential deaths and high costs of the spread of HIV-AIDS throughout the community. Yet the article purposely avoids the elephant in the living room that most interviewees would have mentioned: The need for a syringe exchange here in Lancaster.
NewsLanc’s publisher Robert Field represented Common Sense for Drug Policy as a member of the Harm Reduction Coaltion, which also consisted of Lancaster General Health, AIDS Community Alliance, Bethel AME Church, Compass Mark, the county Drug & Alcohol Commission, the state Department of Health, SouthEast Lancaster Health Services, Spanish American Civic Association, and Urban League of Lancaster County.
An ongoing discussion and effort of the Coalition was how to bring a state of the art syringe exchange to Lancaster. A syringe exchange was recognized as the entry point for contact with addicts, testing for HIV, preventing spread of diseases, and drawing clients into treatment so that they could progress to methadone and Suboxone treatment and become productive members of society.
According to the United State Surgeon General: “After reviewing all of the research to date, the senior scientists of the Department and I have unanimously agreed that there is conclusive scientific evidence that syringe exchange programs, as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy, are an effective public health intervention that reduces the transmission of HIV and does not encourage the use of illegal drugs.”
The Lancaster County Drug and Alcohol Commission has estimated there are 5,000 to 10,000 heroin addicts in the county.
From those Harm Reduction Coalition discussions emerged the offer by the Urban League to operate a syringe exchange if Lancaster General Health would provide some of the funding and offer its support. The offer was declined by Lancaster General Health.
Here are excerpts from the well researched, well written and, apart from the significant omission, comprehensive article:
“According to a new report from the state Health Department, the number of HIV-infected people in Lancaster County increased from 456 in 2003 to 740 in 2008.”
“24 percent of Lancaster Countians with HIV got it from injecting drugs, while the statewide figure is 14 percent.”
“… south central Pennsylvania, which includes Lancaster County, has a significantly higher number of concurrently diagnosed patients — those with HIV and AIDS — than the rest of the state, except Philadelphia.”
“One of the gaps identified by the Harm Reduction Coalition was the need for more free HIV testing…”
“…27 percent of people with HIV say they’re unaware how they became infected, almost twice the figure for Pennsylvania as a whole.”
“Avoiding just one HIV infection saves an estimated $365,000 in medical care….” (Emphasis added)
Thus the annual cost of a state of the art syringe exchange would be far less than the $350,000 saved by preventing just one person from contracting HIV / AIDS!
Although past indications are that the Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. has been favorably disposed to syringe exchanges, the newspapers have been too timid to write a single word urging a syringe exchange and criticizing Lancaster General Health for rejecting the offer by the Urban League, even though Lancaster General Health is a 501(c) ‘Public Charity’ that has averaged profits approaching $100 million per year over the past half decade!
Philadelphia has a syringe exchange. Pittsburgh has a syringe exchange. Temple University’s law school has opined that syringe exchanges are legal under Pennsylvania Law. The Federal Government not only encourages them but has recently provided financial grants. And, in part thanks to efforts by Field and others, syringes can now be purchased at any pharmacy without any restrictions.
We believe the spread of HIV / AIDS in Lancaster County could be cut in half within a year if the community got behind a full service syringe exchange.
Lancaster General Health states its Mission on its web site as follows: “To advance the health and well-beingof the communities we serve.”
What does it take to prick the conscience of the executives and trustees of Lancaster General Hospital?
What does it take to get the Lancaster Newspapers to speak out boldly on behalf of public health?
