PROMOTING HEALTH AND SAFETY
STEP TN is committed to promoting the health and safety of our communities.
- Research shows that syringe exchange programs decrease the number of used syringes discarded in public places by almost 50%.
- Drug use does not increase. Rather, syringe exchange programs reduce drug use.
- Injection drug users who share needles are at risk of being infected with HIV and Hepatitis C. By providing access to clean needles andsyringes, HIV infection rates can be reduced by 80%.
- Injection drug users are 5 times more likely to seek substance abuse treatment and are more likely to reduce or stop injecting drugs.
- Crime is reduced by over 10% by providing linkage to care to injection drug users. ‘
- Needle sticks among law enforcement is significantly reduced.