“This is an epidemic that has steadily increased over five years,” Sawyer said. “This is something that’s going to get much worse before it gets better.”
The need to take issue with disease spread through dirty needle use should be obvious to anyone in the state. The dangers of the 2015 HIV outbreak in southern Indiana and a widespread hepatitis C epidemic were compounded by the nationwide heroin scourge. The lack of available options for addicts to exchange dirty needles for clean ones only served to exacerbate the situation and create more problems.
AS WE HAVE said in the past, needle exchanges are an idea for which the time has come. Foot-dragging by officials on the local, state and national stage will only make things worse.
“If someone can convince me there’s an epidemic, I’ll declare it,” Farag said Tuesday. “But we don’t have an epidemic right now.”
Without such a declaration from its health officer, Miami County cannot pursue a syringe exchange program.
Our opioid problem — and the accompanying spread of disease through needle sharing — isn’t a fight we asked for, but it’s one we must take on with clear eyes and correct information. We don’t have another option.