North Dakota health department backs needle-exchange bill

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - The number of HIV and hepatitis C cases is soaring in North Dakota and a program that would allow intravenous drug users to exchange needles and syringes for sterile ones would help fight the spread of the diseases, a legislative committee was told Tuesday.

“Our goal here is to reduce blood-borne diseases,” Republican Sen. Howard Anderson told the Senate Human Services Committee.

The retired Turtle Lake pharmacist and former member of the state narcotics coalition is the primary sponsor of a bill that would allow needle-exchange programs to be established in North Dakota, though no state money would be used.

Lindsey VanderBusch, a disease program director for the North Dakota Health Department, said 33 states already have such programs, which have proven effective in reducing the spread of the diseases.

VanderBusch, speaking in support of the measure, said hepatitis C cases have nearly doubled in four years to 1,063 in 2015, the latest data available. The number of newly diagnosed HIV cases have increased from 16 in 2012 to 46 in 2016.

A big part of the reason is increased heroin use in the state, health officials said.

Dr. John Baird, a health officer for Fargo Cass County Public Health and the county’s coroner, said a needle-exchange program could also steer drug users to treatment programs.

“A syringe exchange program is a great opportunity for us to intervene with injection drug users to decrease the rate of blood-borne infections and provide services and education in a non-threatening manner,” he said.

Baird said his office investigated 29 drug overdose deaths last year, up from just a handful a few years ago.

He said that deaths from opioid overdose are a public health crisis across the nation.

No one spoke in opposition to the measure on Tuesday. The full Senate will consider it later.

Anderson said the biggest challenge will be to convince the Republican-led Legislature that needle exchange programs do not promote more drug use.

VanderBusch and Baird said the programs actually reduce state medical costs for drug users in the long run.

“These programs have been found to reduce drug use,” Baird told lawmakers. “These programs also promote the safe disposal of syringes.”