By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
The House Health and Welfare Committee introduced a bill to repeal the needle exchange program that the state legalized in 2019.
Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa, introduced the bill after recent news about the Idaho Harm Reduction Program.
The Boise Police Department served a search warrant on Feb. 13 at the Idaho Harm Reduction Project’s Caldwell and Boise offices, according to the Idaho Press.
Police said it was part of an ongoing investigation, but details have not yet been released. The Idaho Press reported that the search warrants involved the removal of “thousands of kits containing illicit drug paraphernalia.”
The bill introduced Wednesday states “Needle exchanges have demonstrated little evidence they are conduits for substance abuse treatment. Furthermore, there is little evidence that needle exchanges have reduced the number of needle stick injuries in Idaho’s communities. Given these were the key arguments for implementing the Syringe and Needle Exchange Act, this chapter is rightly repealed.”
The state’s needle exchange program only allows exchanges of a used syringe for a clean syringe to reduce the spread of blood-borne illnesses, such as HIV and Hepatitis C, that can spread when drug users share needles.
The Harm Reduction Project’s website states it is no longer be providing services as of Feb. 13, due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
The entity also provided the public with Naloxone and Narcan, which can help reverse an opioid overdose, sexually transmitted infection testing, as well as condoms and advice on where to receive treatment for addiction.
The bill for repeal must still receive a public hearing before moving forward.
Ruth Brown | Producer
Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.