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Letters to the Editor
LA times
September 19, 2011
letters@latimes.com
To the Editor,
The "Fresno Needle Exchange" article presents an alternative way of alleviating the heroin issue. It takes a step away from the traditional "don't do it" mentality and turns to a more modern approach that promotes safety and disease prevention among the heroin population.
Perhaps it was fate that the proposal to legalize the needle exchange was overturned. Legalization comes with publicity, and publicity comes with judgment, which may deter regular clients from going to the legal clinic to avoid the unyielding eyes of the general public. In a world where differing from the norm attracts unkind stares, I cannot even begin to imagine the discrimination a heroin addict may have to face every day. Increased funding for rehabilitation facilities, which is legal, can be the next step in the fight against heroin. Treatment should be made more accessible and affordable for people that truly want to turn their life around. They just need the opportunity.
Christina Huynh
UC Berkeley
chuynh11@gmail.com
Dear Christina:
ReplyDeleteYou point out a very important issue that has to be taken into account when making policy: stigma. I would have liked a more innovative proposal for tackling heroin addiction or something more related to the needle exchange.
Overall, your letter is well written and interesting
Sole
Hi Christina,
ReplyDeleteThere is a definitely a huge amount of stigma towards the needle using community and it makes me sad that Fresno did not legalize the needle exchange policy. In my opinion, the rejection of the policy comes off as a denial of the needs of the needle using community and a increase in the already present stigma. I personally believe that needle exchange is the first step towards helping those who are interested in recovery, even before more accessible rehabilitation sites. Needle exchange provides users a chance to communicate with health workers, people from the general public who are not judging them, about their health and about quitting should they choose to do so. Communication with people who do not judge and who are willing to bring the information about rehabilitation to the users makes the transition to an actual facility, hopefully one that is easily accessible and affordable as you mentioned, much easier and much more likely. As you mentioned though, ease of accessibility is definitely an issue, hopefully one that gets solved in the near future.
Runa