GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Your tax dollars may soon be used to start up the needle exchange program in Alachua County. The county commission unanimously approved the program earlier this month.
In response to heated debate online following the decision, commissioners say they believe the pros greatly outweigh the cons, even on the money side of things.
The state law forbids government funds to be used for needles, so that money will be coming from the commission’s private funding-- through one or more local non-profits. According to Alachua County Commissioner Hutch Hutchinson, that will be a “small amount” of under $10,000 a year.
No tax dollars will go towards the expense of needles, syringes, or similar supplies but tax payer’s dollars may be used to cover other costs like informational materials and disposals.
The ordinance sparked debate online, with many concerned the program would lead to an increase in drug use. Many also voiced their concern about putting their tax dollars towards an initiative they didn’t believe in, especially during a pandemic.
In response, Commissioner Hutchinson said there is an overwhelming amount of evidence from other cities around the country who have ran this program that show positive results, and small findings of any increase in drug use. He said the needle exchange is a much better solution, even when it comes to people’s concerns about using their tax dollars to keep the program running.
“The advantage of a needle exchange is classic harm reduction," he said. "If people are going to use drugs and use needles, it’s better they use clean needles ... the transfer of Hepatitis and HIV is a big health risk ... not just for the user but for the people the user comes in contact with.”
According to Commissioner Hutchinson, the tax payer’s contribution would be low, compared to the the local cost to treat an HIV patient, which is up to $22,000 a year and up to $55,000 for a Hepatitis-C patient.
While many disagreed with the ordinance, many also supported it. Elysee Renee is a Public Health masters student at University of Florida. She said many of the comments she saw surrounding the debate were “ignorant” and she felt many people did not understand the full benefits of the public program.
“People use public service everyday," she said. “If you got tested for COVID-19 from UF, that’s a public program ... If you’re living off of social security, that’s a public program. Please remember that-- just because you’re not in this one subset of the public program doesn’t mean these people are bad.”
According to commissioners, this is a win-win situation and those who are not in favor, should reconsider.
“If somebody is against drug use, injectable drug use," Commissioner Hutchinson said, "they should be for a needle exchange ... for all the ancillary benefits to public health and general public health, as well as the health of the addict. That’s basically the information that swayed me and the rest of the commission.”
Hutchinson said those involved are currently working on program details, there is not a date set for when we can expect to see these programs start up.
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Alachua County needle exchange program may use tax payer's dollars - WCJB
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