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Syringe Decriminalization Advocacy in Red States: Lessons from the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition

  • The Global Epidemic (SH Vermund, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Syringe access programs (SAPs) are cornerstone harm reduction interventions for combatting the national opioid epidemic. The goal of this paper is to describe effective advocacy strategies for enacting syringe decriminalization legislation to foster the expansion of SAPs in high-need areas amidst political opposition.

Recent Findings

Decades or research shows that SAPs prevent the transmission of HIV among people who inject drugs (PWID) and are a cost-effective tool for linking PWID to medical care, health education, and social services. In the USA, state laws criminalizing distribution and possession of syringes impede the expansion of SAPs into areas where they are sorely needed.

Summary

In 2016, North Carolina became the first state to legalize SAPs with a Republican super majority. This paper distills strategies for community organizations seeking to advance syringe decriminalization legislation in politically conservative states with histories of prioritizing punitive sanctions over public health responses to drug use.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    David H. Cloud

  2. North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, Wilmington, NC, USA

    Tessie Castillo & Robert Childs

  3. Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein

  4. Center for Health Equity Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein & Manisha Dubey

Authors
  1. David H. Cloud
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  2. Tessie Castillo
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  4. Manisha Dubey
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  5. Robert Childs
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Correspondence to David H. Cloud.

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Cloud, D.H., Castillo, T., Brinkley-Rubinstein, L. et al. Syringe Decriminalization Advocacy in Red States: Lessons from the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 15, 276–282 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11904-018-0397-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11904-018-0397-9

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