C07: Inject Money into Harm Reduction: The Life and Cost Saving Powers of Syringe Services Programs (SSPs)

For this research project, I interned at Syringe Services Programs (SSPs) throughout Butler County in collaboration with the Butler County General Health District. SSPs help provide people in need with sterile syringes, injection equipment, naloxone, and fentanyl test strips. They also help link people in need to rehabilitation facilities and reduce the spread of infectious diseases. Through this experience, I learned more about the opioid epidemic and the importance of SSPs in combatting the opioid crisis. However, I also noticed a lot of barriers that the SSPs faced, like funding challenges and stigma associated with substance use disorders and SSPs. As a result, I became interested in learning more about the benefits of SSPs and the challenges they currently face that impact their work. I conducted a thorough literature review, researching the history of the opioid epidemic in the United States and the current state of the crisis today. Research shows that many factors have caused the situation to worsen, such as the rising opioid prescription rate and the reduced price and increased accessibility of heroin. However, the rise of fentanyl has caused the crisis to worsen dramatically. Only 4% of Ohio overdose deaths involved fentanyl in 2013, but that number has increased to 78% by 2020. Research into the effectiveness of SSPs found that they increase rehabilitation enrollment, reduce the incidence of infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis C by 50%, and are cost saving to society. However, SSPs face many barriers, like a lack of government support and funding challenges. These barriers are rooted in stigma and a misunderstanding of substance use disorders. SSPs will always play a vital role in combating the opioid epidemic, so we must increase education about substance use disorders and SSPs to reduce the stigma surrounding this issue.

Author(s): Megan Louttit, Public Health Major
Advisor(s): Paul Flaspohler, Department of Psychology

Kelly Abshire, Department of Microbiology