Indiana syringe exchange programs would be extended another decade under a bill before lawmakers. During a lengthy committee hearing on Wednesday, many advocates and lawmakers spoke in favor.
Syringe services programs have been in place for 10 years in Indiana. The first one was approved in 2015 in response to an HIV outbreak as the opioid epidemic intensified. The new bill would extend them for another 10 years until 2036.
If the bill fails, the programs will sunset on July 1st of 2026.
Needle exchange programs allow drug users to bring in used needles and get new ones. Advocates provided data showing the programs reduce the spread of diseases like HIV, help get people into treatment, and increase safety for law enforcement officers.
Alan Witchey is with the Damien Center, which operates a needle exchange program in Marion County. He said the programs serve as a “harm reduction” tool that has many benefits.
“It is a critical, critical tool for us to stop disease, to keep law enforcement safe, to reduce public health costs, to save lives, and to get people into treatment,” Witchey said.
There are currently needle exchange programs in six counties across the state, most based in rural areas.
Misty Carlisle is with Indiana Hoosier Action and is a recovering addict. She said in Scott County, the number of new HIV cases fell dramatically after the program started.
“My biggest fear is, what happens when it happens again?” Carlisle asked. “Like, how do we keep the progress we've made?”
But not everyone supported the legislation.
Chris Daniels with the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council said the group is opposed to extending the program.
“We see a huge amount of increase in needles being found,” he said. “We’re hearing about more and more people dealing with accidental sticks.”
Sen. Shelli Yoder (D-Bloomington) called Daniels' testimony - which she said relied on anecdotes - “bold.”
“Lives are at stake,” she said. “Saying ‘we don’t have any way to capture that data’ so we’re going to continue to go and make our decisions based on anecdotal evidence is irresponsible.”
Sen. Liz Brown (R-Fort Wayne) ultimately voted against the bill. During testimony, Brown repeatedly asked how programs were paid for and whether taxpayer dollars were supporting them.
Others, like Sen. Spencer Deery (R-West Lafayette), voted the bill out of committee but expressed discomfort with needle exchange programs, reserving the right to change his vote in front of the full Senate.
In his closing remarks, bill sponsor Sen. Michael Crider (R-Greenfield) said as a former law enforcement officer, his views on needle exchange programs have shifted over the years.
“If this program goes away, something really horrible is going to have to happen again before somebody decides that we're going to do this,” he said. “Lots and lots and lots of lives are going to be lost in the interim.”
The bill passed out of committee on a 10-2 vote and now heads to the full Senate.
Contact Health Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org
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