Shillong, Jun 25: It may seem counterintuitive, but giving syringes to intravenous drug users can be a useful tool in harm reduction strategies in the campaign to tackle the use of illegal narcotics.
Intravenous drug users often share needles among each other, which increases the risk of spreading various diseases, such as HIV/AIDS.
On the eve of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Meghalaya Aids Control Society (MACS) held a programme to raise awareness on substance use and support prevention and recovery efforts.
The state government’s Drug Reduction, Elimination and Action Mission (DREAM) Director Francis G Kharshiing spoke about his concerns regarding the additional problems that come out of drug use, like HIV/AIDS.
According to Kharshiing he was recently in Nongstoiñ and was surprised to find out that there is a large number of HIV cases there.
According to him, it is difficult to convince people of the need to distribute syringes to drug users. “It was difficult to convince them but were we able to make them understand that the harm reduction programme is important,” Kharshiing said.
He said that in his 18 months in charge of DREAM he has had meetings with community leaders and he keeps saying that in the next five years the war against drugs can be won “provided everyone one works together.”
A team from Meghalaya had gone to Kerala in January on a fact-finding visit. That state has a robust anti-drugs programme, with retired doctors, engineers and other professionals all coming together to work on the issue and Kharshiing encouraged a similar approach here.
