I understand the need to place a provocative question on the NYNP website in order to draw attention to the question of the day.  

 However the January 6th question was framed not just provocatively but was inaccurate, biased and did a disservice to the non-profit community as a whole.

A January 3rd New York Post article highlighted a brochure designed for injection drug users called "Take Charge Take Care" which the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene produced and distributed in 2007. The story was picked up by numerous news outlets including the New York Times which ran a story on January 6. The New York Times article which NYNP linked itself to was a rehash of the original Post story.

The brochure is aimed at active injection drug users. It provides direction for drug users on getting into drug treatment, advises medical care for testing and treating HIV and hepatitis, directs drug users to respond to a drug overdose and the first page in the brochure says "Get Help and Support to Stop Using Drugs" and then supplies a phone number. There are help numbers throughout the booklet. It contains pages on vein care and how to avoid bacterial infections. Booklets and manuals such as "Take Charge Take Care" have been around for a long in the harm reduction community both in the US and around the globe.

Drug education is tricky and sensitive. Traditionally, this education is aimed at people who haven't started using drugs or are looking at ways to stop using. We do have people in NYC who inject drugs and we need to provide educational materials that are relevant to them and their lives. Drug use does not have to mean death, disease or incarceration. The US has relied predominantly on law enforcement and drug treatment as its response to people who use drugs. This hasn't solved the drug problem problems and there are many that would argue this approach has made it worse. NYC DOHMH has moved away from the traditional model. NYC has a lot of harm reduction oriented service providers now. It has the biggest network of syringe exchange programs in the country. Many of our service providers have used this pamphlet. The results from moving to a harm reduction model have been remarkable in terms of reducing HIV infection. We now need to have a similar impact on death from overdose. This pamphlet is part of that effort.

So back to the question of the day. "New York City's new 'how-to" guide for safe heroin use has drawn strong criticisms from officials and prosecutors".  It's not "new". It was published in 2007. It's not a 'how-to guide". It's much more than that in its content. As a "how to" guide it leaves a lot to be desired if someone wanted to learn how to inject drugs. It only mentions heroin twice, once whilst informing how to avoid a drug overdose and the second time in the context of getting drug treatment. While the brochure did draw criticism from officials and prosecutors it was also defended by the NYC DOHMH. Since these articles NYS Assembly member Dick Gottfried and  Council Member Anabel Palma have put out statements in support of the brochure.

The story is a little more nuanced than the question of the day states. I'd like to think that NYNP has a little more class than the New York Post.

Thanks for hearing me out.

Sincerely,

Allan Clear

Allan Clear

Executive Director

Harm Reduction Coalition

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