Homeless in Arizona

The government's "war on needles" is just as much as a failure as the government's "war on drugs".

Hell, for that matter, just re-legalize ALL drugs.

The "War on Drugs" causes far more problems than it prevents.

Drug abuse should be treated as a MEDICAL problem, not a CRIMINAL problem.

Source

Bill to legalize needle exchanges advances in the Arizona House

Jason Pohl, The Republic | azcentral.com Published 5:00 p.m. MT Feb. 15, 2018

A bill to decriminalize needle-exchange programs is advancing in the Arizona House of Representatives.

Supporters call it an early, yet significant, legislative victory for advocates and experts who say the efforts are essential in combating injection-drug use and preventing the spread of blood-borne disease.

With an 8-1 vote in favor, the House Health Committee advanced HB 2389 for a vote on the House floor, possibly as soon as next week.

According to the bill, programs such as Shot in the Dark, an underground needle-exchange program in the Valley, could legally exist if the goal is to reduce the spread of disease, minimize needle pricks to law-enforcement officers, and encourage people to enroll in treatment programs.

Programs would also offer used-needle disposal and provide education on overdose prevention as well as naloxone access and mental-illness treatment.

“We can’t keep ignoring these people or relying on our law enforcement to deal with them because that’s not a good use of their time,” the bill's sponsor, Rep. Tony Rivero, R-Peoria, said during Thursday's committee hearing. “It might seem like we are enabling drug use, but we know that people inject drugs whether or not they have a clean syringe."

Also known as syringe-access programs, the efforts have gained popularity across the country, in part because of the increasing opioid epidemic.