In March 2024, Oregon quashed its efforts to decriminalize illicit drugs, which would have been the first of such laws in the nation, but the debate on how to curb the growing drug overdose epidemic in the United States rages on.
More than 100,000 Americans died from a drug overdose in the 12 months leading up to October 2023, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, nearly two-thirds (64.7%) had a potential opportunity for intervention at least once, such as the presence of a bystander, a mental health condition, or a previous nonfatal overdose.
Syringe services programs are one of the provenly effective methods for decreasing overdose deaths as well as the spread of infectious diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C. SSPs are operated by community-based prevention programs that can offer other services such as testing, counseling, and medical treatment/wound care.
Tags: Harm Reduction Needle Exchange Opioid Epidemic Programs
