GRESHAM, Ore — A mobile needle exchange site in Gresham is on the chopping block as the Multnomah County Health Department looks to cut its budget by 3%.
The department is facing a $200,000 shortfall, which means cuts have to be made, and for now, those cuts are coming from the Harm Reduction Program.
That is why the mobile needle exchange in Gresham is facing the ax. That location is currently used by more than 300 people and so far this year, 250,000 syringes have been exchanged at that site alone. In total, the Harm Reduction Program collects about 7 million syringes every year.
“Those are 7 million uses of drugs that we are reducing the harm that can occur from those uses to real people, and that's a huge thing,” said County Commissioner Sharon Meieran.
Commissioner Meieran proposed an amendment to save the needle exchange. She said investing $200,000 now could end up saving the county millions down the road by preventing the spread of infections and diseases associated with drug use that are costly to treat. For example, she said treatment for Hepatitis C runs $20,000-$50,000.
"They could contract a number of diseases. I'm an ER doctor, one of the other things that I do, and I see those devastating consequences of what happens when people get infections with dirty needles,” Meieran said.
If the Gresham site closes, some people who live in the Montavilla neighborhood worry it will drive more people to the needle exchange there. One woman said many neighbors are not against the program, but do oppose the way the needle exchanges are being run and where they are located. She said they are seeing drug use on their streets and are experiencing problems with crime.
“I do totally understand that perspective, and the fact is, there have been studies that have been done and those have shown that actually, in areas where there are these harm reduction clinics, crime actually decreases,” Meieran explained. “As I said earlier, we reduce the number of needles that you're going to be seeing on the streets and in the parks, and where your kids are playing.”
The final budget will be released on Thursday.