Pueblo County commissioner accuses needle exchange of promoting drug use

A Pueblo County commissioner is accusing a local needle exchange program of "drug promotion" and seeking more government regulation of such programs in Pueblo.

Commissioner Eppie Griego is making the push for more oversight after he discovered a kit and promotional materials supplied to drug users by a local nonprofit. The kit offers tools and safety information for snorting illegal drugs and promotes that method as "safe," according to a news release issued Tuesday by the county.

"Access Point Pueblo, a local nonprofit needle-exchange program, is apparently providing a kit to clients that claims inhaling drugs that 'easily dissolve in water' is safe. In fact, the nonprofit not only provides instructions, saline vials and tubes necessary to inhale drugs, it says that when using fentanyl, 'be sure to go low and slow,'" the county said in its release.

Access Point Pueblo's Health Hub Program Manager Sarah Money explained the intent of the kit.

"Though no drug use can be classified as 'safe,' research shows snorting drugs, versus injecting drugs, decreases risk of overdose and infectious disease transmission," Money said. "Access Point strives to help people who are using drugs reduce harms by providing supplies, education and safety tips."

Money explained that the “low and slow” technique highlighted in the kit "is employed as an overdose prevention tip, particularly when fentanyl is suspected to be laced into the drug." She said the agency's data indicates there has been a decrease "in injection drug use over the past year, primarily due to education."

More public safety news:Pueblo needle exchange founder wants to prevent overdoses with drug testing device

The goal of decreasing drug use in the county is important for officials on both sides of the issue. Statistics show Pueblo County has seen a recent increase in drug overdose deaths. According to the county's release, the increase in overdose deaths is, in part, due to increased usage of fentanyl.

In 2019, 55 people in the county died from a drug overdose, but by 2021 that number grew to 73. Health officials expect the number could increase again in 2022 after the coroner concludes his annual reports, according to the county's release.

Griego seeks more oversight, no county funding for programs

Griego, according to the county's release, "vows to take steps to license and monitor the nonprofits who provide needle exchange programs."

“We put so many resources into stopping drug use in the community,” Griego said. “This material (from Access Point) crosses the line between harm reduction and drug promotion — all at the expense of our children and our community.”

“Our work is about community health and saving lives,” said Darrell Vigil, CEO of Colorado Health Network, which oversees Access Point Pueblo and four other harm reduction programs across the state. “In Pueblo, our Access Point participants reported 511 overdose reversals last year alone."

Access Point Pueblo has operated locally since 2014 and received the required approval from the Pueblo County Board of Health before starting work locally, according to a Colorado Health Network statement to the Chieftain. The Pueblo County Department of Public Health and Environment declined to comment on the issue.

“Our harm reduction programs are designed to achieve three major goals: reduce or prevent the spread of HIV andother blood borne conditions; prevent overdose deaths via the provision of Narcan, fentanyl test strips and overdose prevention education; and build relationships with program participants so that when they are ready for treatment, we facilitate linkage-to-care with culturally competent programs,” Vigil said in the statement.

The Pueblo County Board of Commissioners, according to the county's release, "is taking steps to ensure that any nonprofit promoting needle exchanges will not receive county money. Access Point currently receives public funding from the state of Colorado but does not receive money from Pueblo County, while its counterpart, Southern Colorado Harm Reduction, has received county funding in the past."

Griego "believes public funding should never be used to promote illegal drug use," according to the release. He also expressed concern about a lack of regular inspections.

“I am going to seek ways of regulating and licensing for these types of operations,” he said. "It appears these businesses have less oversight than a coffee shop."

Access Point Pueblo is funded, in part, through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and follows oversight standards set forth by that department, including monthly reporting. Colorado Health Network also provides monthly data to the Pueblo Department of Public Health, according to its statement.

“I spoke with local law enforcement officials, and there is long-standing concern with the practice involving the needle exchange programs in our community," Griego said in the release. "Law enforcement has been supportive in evaluating their activities on a case-by-case basis."

However, Colorado Health Network reported in its statement that the agency "regularly meets with community partners in all cities where it operates, including health and police departments, to ensure accountability to the community."

“I don’t know a family that hasn’t been affected by substance use and addiction. The people we serve are someone’sson or daughter, mother or father," Vigil said.

"They represent every walk of life — white collar professionals, athletes, the homeless and sex workers to name a few. Regardless of the position they hold in society they deserve to be treated with dignity and humanity,” Vigil said.

In addition to harm reduction services, Colorado Health Network also links participants to free testing for HIV, Hepatitis C and other health conditions and provides some food items, hats, gloves and other clothing items to those in need.

“We work alongside people who use substances and truly meet them where they are. We show kindness andcompassion to some of the most stigmatized people in our communities as we help reduce harm and work towardpositive changes in their lives," Vigil said.

"It can be a slow process, but it’s been proven to be a successful approach across the country and globally."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, syringe service programs are “proven and effective.”

“Nearly 30 years of research has shown that comprehensive syringe service programs are safe, effective and cost-saving, do not increase illegal drug use or crime and play an important role in reducing the transmission of viral hepatitis, HIV and other infections,” according to the CDC website.

“Research shows that new users of syringe service programs are five times more likely to enter drug treatment and about three times more likely to stop using drugs than those who don’t use the programs," according to the CDC. The needle exchanges that provide naloxone "also help decrease opioid overdose death and help protect the public and first responders by facilitating the safe disposal of used needles and syringes."

Needles in public places

Griego said community members also have expressed concern about used syringes being left in public places such as parks. He said he is considering a pilot program to monitor where the syringes are coming from, according to the county's press release.

“I understand the practicality of harm reduction through clean syringe access,” Griego said in the release. “However, the large assumption in our community is that these needles are exchanged and not left in public areas — I want accountability.”

In 2021, Access Point Pueblo distributed 767,980 syringes and had 545,551 returned for a 71% return rate, Money said. In 2022, 648,900 syringes were distributed and 363,846 or 56% were collected.

"Noting the dip in return rates, we proactively conducted surveys with program participants and learned that they dispose of used sharps at other syringe access programs and by properly disposing of them in a hard plastic container labeled biohazard and at other locations such as pharmacies," Money said. "Over the course of the year, we completed 15 pickups or cleanups in the community, getting a total of 336 syringes off our streets and safely disposed of."

"We have worked with 24 area businesses to see if they were experiencing issues with improperly disposed of sharps and equip those who were with safe disposal containers. We distributed 23 containers for safe storage and eventual disposal with us," Money said.

To further increase and ease the return of sharps, Access Point Pueblo has procured and has plans to install a large disposal kiosk that should be up and running during the second quarter of 2023 at its Pueblo location.

Pueblo Parks and Recreation Director Steven Meier said his clean up and park crews picked up 1,600 discarded needles in 2020, 2,516 in 2021 and 2,168 in 2022. He said the drop in discarded needles may be attributed to the fact that "there are more groups out in the community that pick up needles."

Access Point Pueblo, located at 807 N. Greenwood St., Suite 200, offers its needle exchange program from 10 a.m. to noon and 1:30-4 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday and 7-9 p.m. every Wednesday.

More needle exchange news:Debate over needle exchanges dominates Pueblo City Council work session on drug use

Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via Twitter at twitter.com/tracywumps.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo County Commissioner accuses needle exchange of 'drug promotion'