As Charlie posted yesterday, State Representative Angel Cruz (D-180) introduced a bill in the State Legislature that would ban needle exchange programs from operating within 500 feet of a residence or school. I posted similar concerns yesterday over this legislation which would essentially prevent a very successful needle exchange program, Prevention Point, from operating in Philadelphia. I sent Rep. Cruz's office an email yesterday voicing my concern and asking him to consider working with neighborhood groups in his district and Prevention Point to solve the issue of discarded needles rather than create a state law that would in effect ban needle exchange programs in urban areas. I also emphasized that research has overwhelmingly shown needle exchange programs to be effective at reducing the spread of new HIV infections while NOT increasing drug use rates.

This is the response I received from his office:

Dear Jennifer,

If you would like to forward your home address I will forward it to Prevention Point to use as a needle exchange site.

If you have any questions please feel free to call 215-291-5643.

Sincerely,

Joseph H Evangelista, Executive Director
State Representative Angel Cruz
District Office

I sent a reply to Mr. Evangelista with my address, but reminded him that with the pending legislation it would be against the law for me to operate a needle exchange site from my home. I did offer that the closest location to my house might be at the Philadelphia Zoo, but that the $18 admission price might deter folks who are only concerned with obtaining a clean needle and stopping the spread of HIV in the process.

What concerns me most about this legislation is that Rep. Cruz could actually do something as a state legislator to protect the safety of his constituents - he could work at actually reducing drug use in his district and Philadelphia as a whole. But that's not what he is doing.

Philadelphia has a serious drug problem. While the 1980s onward saw a reduction in overall drug use, many researchers argue that the number of hard-core drug users (those who consume a lot of drugs) is actually higher today. This is usually marked by drug-related emergency department visits and deaths. A 2002 national report revealed that Philadelphia had three times the national average in heroin-related emergency department visits. Not surprisingly, many of Philadelphia's heroin problems are found in Rep. Cruz's district. For those of you who are not familiar with the 180th district, it is an area of North Philadelphia that (very) roughly encompasses Kensington Ave to the east, 5th Street to the West, Lehigh to the South and Wyoming to the North. Some of you might remember when part of this district had been perjoratively nicknamed "The Badlands" because of its open-air drug markets and scores of abandoned houses serving as "shooting galleries" during the 1990s. It was an area of rampant drug problems and these problems continue today. For my dissertation, I interviewed many former heroin addicts who were seeking treatment at a methadone maintenance program in South Philadelphia. Almost all of them would refer to locations in the 180th district where they would go to buy and use drugs (i.e., the infamous "K and A" intersection). Operation Safe Streets attempted to target some of these areas.

Drug addiction should be an issue that Rep. Cruz addresses. It is definitely a huge issue in his district. He should be going to Harrisburg and figuring out ways to direct Commonwealth resources to help combat this problem. But, unfortunately, the solution he has come up with, banning needle exchange programs, is reactionary and short-sighted. Rather than trying to work with the new mayor and city council to combat the illegal drug activity on the streets of his district, he is making what appears to be a calculated political move to satisfy a small number of angry constituents in his district. Rather than going to Harrisburg and demanding more money for drug treatment programs in his district, he is going to ask them to ban the only effective harm reduction program that Philadelphia has ever had. And, in the end, the residents in his district will be no safer from the violence associated with drug-dealing, and those in need of serious drug treatment will have one less resource to count on for information.

On the front page of the current Public Record is the headline ”Push Underway To Curb Needle Swap Locations”. The legislation, HB 2185, was introduced by Representative Angel Cruz of North Philadelphia, and referred to the Urban Affairs Committee, which he is a member of.

Cruz has valid concerns,

”Public safety is my number one concern and citizens’ being poked by stray syringes is inexcusable. People shouldn’t have to worry about getting injured while walking in their neighborhood.”

(Hopefully soon the Public Record will put a link to the article on their homepage)

I agree that no one wants dirty needles in their neighborhood, and while I don’t think the problem is as bad as it is being made out, one needle on the street is one too many.

The problem is that the 500 foot buffer from residences seems like a big hurdle to overcome, and could effectively wipe out these important services. In addition, neighborhoods are where people, including intravenous drug users, live and moving the exchange programs out of them only decreases their effectiveness.

According to the Drug Policy Alliance, 34% of reported HIV infections are among intravenous drug users and their sexual partners. Needle exchange programs have the possibility of reducing infection rates drastically, and are a needed component of the fight against HIV and AIDS.

While I believe Rep. Cruz is well intentioned, the negative consequences of his legislation would far outweigh the benefits. I do believe there is a way to solve neighborhood concerns regarding the increased use of needles around exchange sites without closing them down.

Security agents, increased police patrol around sites, or even participation by neighborhood associations would curtail the problems Rep. Cruz is trying to address. My basic point is that leaders in City Hall should focus on ways to curtail residents’ quality of life concerns, but we shouldn’t use a blanket approach from Harrisburg that will tie our hands with this important tool in our fight against HIV.