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Syringe Service Programs Save Lives and Protect Communities

Infographic titled syringe service programs save lives and protect communities. The infographic is on a white, beige, and gray background, with text highlighted in blue. The infographic has six panels. The text above the first panel reads: Syringe Service Programs (SSPs) offer sterile injection equipment, collect used syringes, and provide non-judgemental healthcare without increasing drug use. The first panel has a light brown background with silhouettes of people in a heart outline on the left. On the right, it reads in bold: SSPs ensure the health and safety of communities. Underneath the bolded text it reads . SSPs keep communities free of used syringes and protect public safety workers from unnecessary exposure to used syringes. They are supported by federal public health officials, state officials, and major health and scientific organizations including the American Medical Association and the National Academy of Sciences (citations 1, 2, 3). The second panel is split horizontally into two halves. The left half has bolded text that reads: SSPs connect people to healthcare. Underneath the bolded text, it reads SSPs prevent HIV, hepatitis C, and COVID-19 infections saving money on healthcare costs. Each prevented hepatitis C case saves $360,000 in treatment costs (citation 4). On the right half, it reads: Using Nalxone supplied by SSP's 8600 (in bold blue) lives in North Carolina were saved from overdose (citation 5). the next panel is below with a bottle intersecting the second and third panel. The text in bold reads: SSPs distribute life-saving naloxone. Underneath the bolded text it reads: North Carolina’s SSPs are leading distributors of naloxone, the antidote for opioid overdose. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, in the 2019-2020 reporting year, syringe exchanges distributed more than 53,000 doses of naloxone and recorded more than 8,600 overdose reversals. The fourth panel has a blue background and the text in bold reads: Syringe Service Programs require state and federal financial support to operate. Below in small font are the citations. The citations are: 1. Towey K, Fleming M, eds. Policy and resource guide: Alcohol use and adolescents (pp. 41). Chicago, IL: American College of Preventive Medicine and American Medical Association National Coalition for Adolescent Health, 2006. Provisional Committee on Pediatric AIDS. Reducing the risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection associated with illicit drug use. Pediatrics 1994;94(6), 945–947. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/ content/94/6/945. 2. Kolata G. Sept. 17–23: the AIDS epidemic; scientists endorse needle exchanges. The New York Times, September 24, 1995. http://www. nytimes.com/1995/09/24/weekinreview/sept-17-23-the-aids-epidemicscientists-endorse-needle-exchanges.html. 3. American Public Health Association. (November 13, 2002). Syringe prescription to reduce disease related to injection drug use (Policy #2002-12) http://www.apha.org/advocacy/policy/policysearch/default. htm?id=288. 4. Ijioma, S. C., Pontinha, V. M., Holdford, D. A., & Carroll, N. V. (2021). Cost-effectiveness of syringe service programs, medications for opioid use disorder, and combination programs in hepatitis C harm reduction among opioid injection drug users: a public payer perspective using a decision tree. Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy, 27(2), 137–146. https://doi.org/10.18553/jmcp.2021.27.2.137 5. NC Department of Health and Human Services, NC Safer Syringe Initiative Annual Report, 2019-2020.

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