Harm reduction in the opioid epidemic

Harm reduction is sometimes the goal in an epidemic. The cost of uncontrolled drug abuse can be more expensive than permissive programs such as free-needle programs that decrease the spread of infectious diseases by providing fresh needles for IV drug users. By doing so, there is less HIV spread, less Hepatitis C spread and less overall infection. The link here discusses the success of an injecting facility for drug abusers : Insight for community Safety . The article from CNN at the top of the page, refers to the success in decreasing overdose deaths with harm reduction techniques by allowing safe injection areas in monitored bathroom settings decreased overdose deaths. Bathrooms are frequent places of injection use and overdoses and in high use areas this results in messy bathrooms littered with needles and paraphernalia. Some data argues against this: The Journal of Global Drug Policy