Page 8 - Syringe Services Program News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Robert Nickelsberg Overview Over the past decade, attempts to address the overdose crisis in the U.S. have resulted in more restrictive opioid prescribing policies—which, because they have reduced the overall availability of prescription opioids, have inadvertently led to a surge in the use of illicit drugs such as heroin. Because these illicit opioids are often injected, they’re associated with higher rates of overdose than prescription painkillers, and, when unsterile injection equipment is used or shared, people are at risk of getting a serious infection or transmitting disease. 1 As ...

FAIRFIELD-SUISUN, CALIFORNIA Editorial | Volunteer-based needle exchange program providing vital services and saving lives, but needs better oversight [Santa Cruz Sentinel, Calif.] Dec. 20—Few local outreach endeavors have been as controversial as the efforts to exchange clean needles for used ones with intravenous drug users. The community debate continues, even as overdose deaths in California and the U.S. multiply during the COVID-19 pandemic and the continuing opioid crisis. Santa Cruz County continues to see a surge of drug overdose deaths this year — although health officials says t...