Long-time readers and drug-reform afficianodos will recall that, in 2007, the Texas Legislature approved a pilot needle exchange program in San Antonio. But then-District Attorney Susan Reed vowed to prosecute government employees (or anyone else) associated with the program, then-Attorney General Greg Abbott agreed she could do so, even though the Legislature had authorized it, and so the program never got off the ground.
However, in the wake of losing his primary election, Bexar County DA Nico Lahood is reversing his predecessor's position and giving the go-ahead to a needle-exchange pilot in River City, the SA Express-News reported.
This is excellent news!
In 2015, the Texas House passed a bipartisan bill that would have allowed private charities to legally operate needle exchange programs without being prosecuted, but the Senate never considered the legislation. Now, the long-ago pilot championed in 2007 by the late Ruth McLendon-Jones and Dr./Sen. Bob Deuell can demonstrate the practice for the rest of the state.
Being Texas, of course, the fact that needle exchanges have proven effective all over the nation and globe won't convince our pols to do it, but a demonstration project in San Antonio might.
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2 comments:
Public health and safetey have no place in this state... not when there are tried and true (i mean FAILED) ideologies across the state that could be championed and over funded instead... take ABSTINENCE education.
Kids are going to, for lack of a better way tomsay it with the same effect, kids are going tk continue growing up, and they sre going to fuck, it's a part of life you can't fucking PRAY away, or deny adolescents the knowledge they need to prevent STI's and unwanted pregnancies.
Needle exchages are a super cheap way to drastically improve public health as a whole, but people shouldn't do drugs, zero tolerance. I can't believe somewhere in this state, someone is allowing a harm reduction program(s) to launch.
Bravo!
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