Heroin overdose cure: It exists, but how do you get it?

[Jacob(smooth)]

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From a purely pragmatic point of view in a country with health care, there are many good reasons. The biggest is the same ones as for free contraception. You could probably supply free needles for every addict in the country for what it would cost to treat one person with HIV.

Then there are the hidden costs. We have to keep our sharps bins in a locked compound because a full, sealed bin has a street value of about 20 quid to people who crank them to reuse.

Finally and perhaps most importantly, you're missing the significant bit of the exchange. It's not what they take away, it's what they bring back. Every infected needle they bring back to swap is one they don't drop in the street, or at the park. The public health benefits alone make it worthwhile.

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While those are good points they are not absolute. A needle could be infected with HIV, however after just a few minutes the needle will be harmless. On the other hand Hepatitis B can survive, or so it's claimed, for a number of days. Thus a needled infected with Hep B will stay infected for a longer duration.

But what you've failed to address is the actual problem that needle exchanges try to address - and that is infection from sharing needles, not infections from discarded needles.

And then there is the unjust aspect to it which you haven't addressed - it's not right to give people who don't need something that item for free while those who do need them do not receive them for free. What's the problem with charging something? Imagine the vending machine dispenses needles for $0.70c, or if a needle is returned dispenses one for 0.20c? Where's the problem with that model?

No problem, it's a good idea. Although one thing it doesn't do is give the health service the opportunity to make contact with the addicts. That's not a small thing. Gives the opportunity for outreach, monitoring and rehab. Again, justice doesn't enter into it, it's pure pragmatism.

So far as discarded needles, just as happy nor to take the risk. I've never had to do hiv post exposure prophylaxis but I know someone who did. Not at all fun! And so far as sharing needles, a ready supply of new ones removes the need to share.

So far as need, take my word for it, these people need those needles. Leave alone the horror of withdrawal, and it I'd horrible, withdrawal can kill.