More needle exchange programs designed to help drug users avoid disease and seek treatment would be allowed to open across New Jersey under a bill state lawmakers sent to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk Monday.
Needle exchange programs provide drug users access to sterile needles and syringes and allow them to dispose of them safely in an effort to prevent them from becoming infected with HIV or other illnesses. The programs often provide other services and treatment, as well.
The measure (S3009) gives the state Department of Health authority to approve or terminate the exchanges, also known as “harm reduction centers. Currently, local governments have that power, which sponsors say has kept more exchanges from opening.
The Garden State currently has only seven exchanges, which is a smaller number than many other states.
The Democratic-controlled state Legislature passed the measure largely along party lines Monday. The Senate approved it by a vote of 21-16 — with the minimum number of votes needed for it to pass the chamber — while the Assembly passed it 47-27.
It’s now up to Murphy whether to sign the bill into law or veto it.
The Democratic governor has previously expressed support for the legislation. His office told Politico New Jersey last year that Murphy “believes that expanding harm reduction centers will increase access to critical and compassionate services needed to help people with substance use disorders stay healthy, stay alive, and thrive.”
Proponents of the needle exchanges cite studies showing the sites help reduce the risk of HIV for drug users.
In addition, people who use the exchanges are five times more likely to enter drug treatment and three times more likely to stop using drugs compared to people who don’t use the programs, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found.
Jay Lassiter, a journalist and longtime advocate for the bill who was once an IV drug user, said the centers help help save lives by giving drug users “a better chance of recovery,” while also saving local governments money.
“This is a very stigmatized population,” Lassiter said. “It’s very vulnerable, expensive population we’re trying to protect.”
Under the measure, non-profits and health-care providers who wish to establish a needle exchange in New Jersey would now have to apply to the state health commissioner.
That almost led to the measure’s demise in recent months. Some lawmakers from both parties, despite expressing support for the good the exchanges can do, said they were worried about taking authority away from local governments. They argued towns should have a say.
But there ended up being enough support for the bill to pass on the final voting day of the current legislative session, before a new Legislature is sworn in Tuesday.
Lassiter said the hope now is this bill could lead to two to four more exchanges to open throughout New Jersey. That, he said, means advocates must keep to convincing more officials of the benefits.
“This debate goes on,” Lassiter said. “We need one (site) in every county.”
The bill also includes $5 million in state taxpayer money to support the centers and another $10 million for substance abuse treatment programs.
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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @johnsb01.
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