When it comes to trying to reduce the devastation that accompanies the use of illicit drugs, experts say Michigan is working against itself.
Here’s what’s happening: In an effort to keep people alive, the state of Michigan is funneling millions of dollars from settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors into a strategy called harm reduction — reducing the harms associated with drug use. That means easy access to Narcan, which can reverse an opioid overdose if given quickly and correctly. It also means reducing the spread of infectious disease by providing clean syringes to intravenous drug users. And it means providing kits to test drugs for the presence of ultra-deadly fentanyl in street drugs.
At the same time, hundreds of local communities have paraphernalia ordinances that prohibit people from possessing or providing syringes and other supplies, including kits to test for the presence of fentanyl in street drugs. What’s legal in one community may be illegal in another.
Tags: Addiction Services Drug Strategy Harm Reduction Naloxone Needle Exchange Programs
