NEW ORLEANS — Drug addiction is at an all time high, fueled in part by the deadly drug fentanyl coming over the southern border.
And while some groups are trying to decrease the health problems that go along with addiction, others say it's putting their neighborhood children at risk.
“This is a new needle since the last time I checked Monday,” said Reverend Richard Bell, senior, of First New Zion travel Baptist Church.
He has lived in the lower Ninth ward for decades and is a fierce defender of his neighborhood. The Vietnam veteran said he is still in service, patrolling to keep people safe, but now the battleground is just blocks from home.
“It was like a festival. I couldn't get help from 911, couldn't get help from 311, and I said this is not acceptable.”
The reverend's concern is that the parking lot of a closed dollar store is used by a volunteer group, once a week, to give clean needles, and syringes to people addicted to drugs. After they are used, some litter the area. And there's what appears to be blood on a window tie, that may have been used to help users find a vein to inject.
“You got small kids walking through this parking lot to the store. They're leaving needles all on the ground. Kids could pick these needles up," he said.
The group is all volunteers with Trystereo, a harm reduction network. In a text they said they are honored for a decade now to help with clean syringe access.
CrescentCare health clinic is not affiliated with Trystereo, but it has a clean needle exchange program. Drug users bring the dirty needle to be properly disposed, and get a clean one. CrescentCare says with an exchange program, it helps reduce the number of needles on the streets.
“They have been proven to reduce transmission of blood borne illnesses, primarily HIV, Hepatitis C ,and Hepatitis B. That helps that reduce the rates of these illnesses among people using drugs, but also in the community at large,” explained Deepa Panchang, a nurse practitioner at CrescentCare.
CrescentCare said many of these types of programs also save lives by offering resources to get treatment. And they distribute Narcan that has already prevented more than 2,500 overdose deaths since November.
But Reverend Bell wants blighted properties to be used for drug rehab, and needle pop-up services in clinics and hospitals, not in his backyard.
Bell said, "we want the same respect" that other neighborhoods get.
From Trystereo: “We’re honored to have been part of the larger landscape of syringe access work in New Orleans for the past 10 years and to have our pop-up services offered weekly in the Lower Ninth Ward for the past 5 years. We’re excited that you’re able to check in with some of the other public health organizations providing this essential healthcare.” (Trystereo is not an exchange program)
From the New Orleans City Health Department:
Syringe Service Programs (SSPs) are community-based prevention programs that provide a range of services, including access to and disposal of sterile syringes and injection equipment for individuals; vaccination, testing, and linkage to care and treatment for infectious diseases; and substance use disorder treatment. SSPs generally allow individuals to exchange used needles for new ones.
The New Orleans Health Department does not operate an SSP, but we often partner with them around Naloxone distribution.
There are three ways to take care of used needles on the street.
1. Report exposed used needles to the Sanitation Department.
2. If you want to remove them yourself, wear heavy gloves and place them in a heavy gauge plastic container with a wide mouth, such as a detergent bottle or sports drink bottle, label it "do not recycle." Secure the top of the container and dispose in a garbage can, making sure that there are NO sharp objects sticking out that could cause a hazard to Sanitation workers.
3. Pick up a special container at the Women With a Vision office on 1226 N. Broad St.
There are Syringe Service Programs in New Orleans -
Women With A Vision,1226 N Broad St,
(504) 301-0428
New Orleans Syringe Access Program (NOSAP, a Crescent Care program).
1631 Elysian Fields Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117
More information about needle disposal can be found at https://safeneedledisposal.org/states/louisiana/
About SafeNeedle Disposal.org. Information about safely disposing of sharps is difficult to come by and often misunderstood. SafeNeedleDisposal.org provides a one-stop shop for people to learn how to safely dispose of used sharps wherever they are. This site is a project of NeedyMeds.
NOHD is available to partner with or provide guidance to businesses or non-profits that are interested in having sharps containers on their premises.