03/01/2021
We at the chapter received an email this morning indicating that a bill aimed at limiting harm reduction has been introduced to the state senate. This bill, and this is by no means an understatement, will destroy hard fought efforts for better healthcare taken up by a wealth of communities and caring organizations. This in spite of an already limited and underfunded system for reducing harm to drug users here in WV.
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO SEND A MESSAGE AND/OR SHARE THIS POST!
[more info below!!!]
HARM REDUCTION IN WV IS COUNTING ON US!
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(quoted from email sent by
Caitlin Sussman, MSW, LGSW
Milan Puskar Health Right
Friendship House Program Director)
CALL TO ACTION RE: SB 334 Harm Reduction Destruction
Dear friends,
· A bill has been introduced to the WV senate that would establish a licensing process for any Harm Reduction Program to operate.It’s no secret this bill has nothing to do with expanding services to people. It’s about ending harm reduction in WV.
· We need your help to contact the list people below and urge them to VOTE NO on SB 334 on Tuesday in the senate health committee.
· We need you to do this before Monday evening!
· Please use the sample letter below if that is helpful.
· Review info about this bill and the impact it would have below.
****Targeted committee members:****
Michael Maroney (Chair of committee)
(304)357-7902
[email protected]
Patricia Rucker
(304)357-7957
[email protected]
David Stover
(304)357-7807
[email protected]
Tom Takubo
(304)357-7990
[email protected]
Ryan Weld
(304)357-7984
[email protected]
*****************************************
Sample Letter, email, or phone message
(FEEL FREE TO MAKE YOURS MUCH SIMPLER IF YOU LIKE)
Dear Senator ________ (insert one from the list, please send emails to one person at a time not a long list of legislators).
I am [insert any of the following {a licensed healthcare professional, concerned WV citizen, person in long term recovery, family member of a person who suffers from the disease of addiction, educator, social worker, participant in a harm reduction program, a registered voter in your county if applicable}].
I am contacting you to urge you to VOTE NO on SB334 in the health committee on Tuesday.
This bill is _________ (insert word(s)to describe the harm you feel this bill will cause)
I support harm reduction because____ (insert statement of why you feel Harm reduction and syringe programs are important).
Any legislation about harm reduction should ______.
[{Insert what you think would be an expectable purpose of legislation/path forward would be (be aimed at preventing further HIV outbreaks in WV, reduce overdose fatalities, should be made after we have more time to study this issue, considered only after official study is conducted in WV, should be made after you have heard from more experts etc)}.
Sincerely,
[Your name, credentials if you have any, wv address, phone number]
_____________________________________________________________________________________
MORE INFO:
What this proposed bill would do:
· Require approval from the sheriff and entire county commission to stay open
· Require ID for participants to receive services
· Require needles dispensed to be marked with a serial number that can be traced back to the the individual who received the needle
· Use a 1:1 model (1 for 1 exchange)
· Not allow secondary exchange (syringes provided to another person who is not present such as a family member)
· Places a heavy burden on programs legally and financially.
· Not allow programs that provide Harm Reduction to receive state funds (for things such as Peer Recovery staff and HIV/HCV/STD testing). End harm reduction programs at health departments.
o Places control and approval of Harm Reduction programs in the hands of the Office of Health Facility Licensure and Certification, not medical experts. Takes away local control and hands it over to the government.
o This bill will make syringe services obsolete (no longer possible or relevant) and epidemiologically ineffective
o Makes evidenced-based Harm Reduction Illegal in WV.
o Places regulatory requirements strict enough to shut down your local Harm
Reduction program.
Implications of this bill:
This bill will not increase safety in our state. It will directly result in fatalities because:
1. Programs will not be able to continue their work to help those who are already at extreme levels of risk.
2. If any program could begin to comply with these regulations, the services would be forced to be limited to a level that is not epidemiology effective in preventing HIV and HCV and other life threatening conditions associated with Substance Use Disorder. More cases of HIV in WV.
3. Will end Naloxone/Narcan (the life saving opiod overdose reversal medication) distribution to those who are overdosing. Harm Reduction programs dispense 1,000s of kits per year resulting in 1,000 of lives saved. Increased overdose fatality. In 2017 there were 1,017 deaths in WV.
This will cost WV more! Without Harm Reduction and Syringe Programs we would lose access to a very costly population in our state (people in active addiction).
§ Strict requirements keep people from coming to a program. Why do does this matter? Because we need these people to get better so our state can get better.
§ People will use drugs with or without exchange programs. The difference they will go at much greater lengths to obtain what they need to do it. That means taking more risks, more crime, more cost to tax payers, more spread of disease, more incarceration expenses, and more deaths.
