Introduction The purpose of this essay is to indicate how the needle and syringe program in prisons will benefit the Australian government as well as the wider Australian community. As well as the maintenance of NSPs can be maintained while acknowledging concerns of those against it. Needle and syringe programs (NSP) are aimed at intravenous drug users, so as to prevent and limit blood borne diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. These NSP programs help drug addicts by supplying needles and also through referrals and provide education among other services. All these efforts are made to control the spread of blood borne diseases like Hepatitis and AIDS in Australian population with 872 Blood Borne viruses reported 4th quarter 2013(Quarterly Surveillance Report Notifiable Sexually Transmissible Infections and Blood-borne Viruses in Western Australia, Government of Western Australia, Department of health period ending Volume11(1) 31st of December 2013). Blood borne diseases being a major concern all around the globe and prisons being a hub for these diseases its best that NSPs are introduced in prisons. About Blood borne diseases Benefit to government Most effective method: In Australia the Government uses three methods to tackle drugs; Demand reduction, supply reduction and harm minimization. Needle and syringe programs are under harm minimization category. Supply reduction is focused on drug dealers and drug makers and is brought about by law enforcement. In the Demand reduction method it is tried to decrease the number of people taking drugs through anti-drug advertisements and campaigns, legislation, rehabilitation centers. On the other hand harm minimization recognizes the fact that drugs can never be eradicated fro... ... middle of paper ... ...as an HIV Prevention... : JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. [online] Available at: http://journals.lww.com/jaids/Abstract/2001/11010/Cost_Effectiveness_of_Syringe_Exchange_as_an_HIV.12.aspx [Accessed 3 Apr. 2014]. Website Ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au 01. What is Australia's "drug budget"? The policy mix of illicit drug-related governement spending in Australia | Resource | NDARC - National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre In-text: (Ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au, 2002) Bibliography: Ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au, (2002). 01. What is Australia's "drug budget"? The policy mix of illicit drug-related governement spending in Australia | Resource | NDARC - National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. [online] Available at: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/resource/01-what-australias-drug-budget-policy-mix-illicit-drug-related-governement-spending [Accessed 2 Apr. 2014].
Needle exchange programs are a type of harm reduction initiative used in different parts of the world to combat HIV transmission. These programs provide injection drug users (IDUs) with clean needles and syringes (AVERT, 2015). These programs are run by pharmacies or other drug services, and can be either fixed or mobile sites (CDC, 2010). Besides aiming to reduce the transmission of HIV, these programs also provide advice on safe drug injection, how to minimize harm by drugs and overdose, how to safely handle injection equipment, and provide access to treatment if the person wishes. There are at least 90 countries that have implemented these programs, located in various areas such as the United States, Australia, Asia, Europe, Latin America,
Two main arguments for needle exchange programs include that the needle exchange would help prevent the spread of disease and that they are key to fighting HIV and in turn saving lives. Since, the needle exchange programs don’t really force people to get off the substance they are abusing, a lot of users will actually choose to do the treatment programs on their own because they don’t feel pressured into doing so. Not only do the needle exchange programs supply sterile needles they also supply counseling and therapy for those that not only want some help in the guidance of getting off their substance, but mental and life assistance to help them to reestablish their lives. By doing so the previously addicted can reestablish relat...
Many people believe that the only way to receive HIV and AIDS is through sexual intercourse. Although it can be spread through sexual intercourse without proper protection, there is a bigger issue at hand. Not only can HIV and AIDS be transferred through sex, it can be transferred through the sharing of needles. A large number of people forget that drugs are becoming a popular trend in today’s society. The spread of HIV and AIDS has increased because of the sharing of needles between drug users.Not only is it an STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) it is a bloodborne pathogen. This is why needle exchange programs are a must have in communities like Licking County, today. Needle exchange programs are extremely helpful because it decreases the spread of HIV and AIDS.
Needle exchange programs are defined as a program, which intended to slow the spread of AIDS among IV drug users. It provides factual information and education for drug users and community so that the use of drugs has a minimal negative impact. (Watson 1991: 14) The first needle exchange programs began to emerge across Europe in the mid- 1980’s and have become famous health strategy around the world. In Canada, NEPs was officially opened in Ontario in 1987 and Vancouver in 1989, and a total of 28 NEPs were operational by February 1993. Today, there are more than 100 NEPs functioning around Canada, most of which earn federal and provincial funding. Needle exchange programs aim to provide injection and encourage the utilization of sterile needle syringes and other paraphernalia among injecting drug u...
The study conducted by MacNeil & Pauly (2011) focused on the perspective of the people who use the needle exchange programs in Canada. To receive the data from the injecting drug users, the researchers first recruited most of their participants from four needle exchange sites. There were a total of 33 people who participated (23 men and 10 women) in this study. The average age of the participants was 40.3 years of age, for men, the average was 43, whereas for women it was 34 years old. The participants were either homeless or were on government assistance programs. Out of the 33 participants, six of them reported being HIV positive (18%) and 16 reported being diagnosed wi...
America's War on Drugs: Policy and Problems. In this paper I will evaluate America's War on Drugs. More specifically, I will outline our nation's general drug history and look critically at how Congress has influenced our current ineffective drug policy. Through this analysis, I hope to show that drug prohibition policies in the United States, for the most part, have failed.
We cannot afford to keep using the same approach in hopes of diminishing our drug problem in the United States. In a study posted on RAND.org, the author Jonathan P. Caulkins compares many methods we can use to help with drug crime. The first graph compares federal mandatory minimum sentences, conventional enforcement at all levels of government, and treatment of heavy users. Conventional enforcement prevented around thirty kilo grams of cocaine from being used, while federal mandatory minimums prevented around forty kilograms from being used. Treatment of heavy users blew both of the other methods out of the water.
The Prevention of Infectious Diseases in Prison (http://www.drugtext.org/library/articles/florenz.html) The effects of drugs and the spread of Aids and other diseases in prisons as a direct effect of drug abuse.
First, the prison system exacerbates negative behaviour such as drug use, self-harming behaviour and suicidal thoughts and actions. One of the most significant ways that the prison community worsens drug use, self-harming behaviour and suicidal thought is providing minimal amount of harm reduction. Accordingly, Lines makes note that higher instance of HIV/HVD and other transmitted disease are a cause on mental health issues within prison, this harm reduction measures would improve the overall health of individuals in prison (Lines at Al. 2005). Thus, the prion systems all intersects: much like society, the happier the i...
Spink, Gemma. "AIDS." AVERTing HIV and AIDS. 23 Dec 2009. Web. 11 Jan 2010. .
Injectable drugs continue to be found in Canadian prisons despite control measures to prevent this. Drug users can therefore continue their injecting habits while in prison with some modification, one being the lack of access to sterile injecting equipment. In studies done from 1995 to 2003 it was found that as high as 92% of injecting drug users shared equipment while in Canadian prisons.3 This contributes to the unfortunate fact that the prevalence of HIV in Canadian prisons far exceeds that of the normal population, with some estimates going as much as 10 times higher. The increased prevalence has been in part attributed to needle s...
Injection drug users put their health at risk when they partake in sharing needles and injection equipment. When a user shares contaminated needles or indirectly share their injection equipment, they expose themselves to a high risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis, and other serious blood-borne viral infections. The Vancouver IDU Study indicates
A “drug-free society” has never existed, and probably will never exist, regardless of the many drug laws in place. Over the past 100 years, the government has made numerous efforts to control access to certain drugs that are too dangerous or too likely to produce dependence. Many refer to the development of drug laws as a “war on drugs,” because of the vast growth of expenditures and wide range of drugs now controlled. The concept of a “war on drugs” reflects the perspective that some drugs are evil and war must be conducted against the substances
Wolf, M. (2011, June 4). We should declare an end to our disastrous war on drugs. Financial Times. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.consortiumlibrary.org/docview/870200965?accountid=14473
Australia has spent a great amount of years battling the fight against drug abuse. One drug in particular keeps reappearing, Ecstasy. According to the International Narcotics Control board (INCB), “Australia has been very successful at reducing drug deaths and the use of heroin...the result has been a move to drugs like ecstasy, which are regarded by many people as less dangerous.” (Watters 1). Although Australia has been able to reduce the use of other illegal drugs in their country, the usage of Ecstasy continues to grow and feed on their population. Australia has been working on finding new ways to keep certain drugs out of their country, such as Heroin, and has been successful but due to the lack of heroin in the country, many choose to turn to easier more obtainable drugs, such as Ecstasy.