Carbon County Sheriff Jeff Wood has been very vocal about his concerns of the services the non-profit organization called Utah Harm Reduction Coalition offers. The UHRC is looking to establish their version of a needle exchange program in Carbon County and originally presented their amenities as a true needle exchange, i.e. needles for needles and/or syringes for syringes to aid in the prevention of HIV and/or Hepatitis C.

As the ball started rolling, county officials discovered a little more of what UHDC mobile services had in mind for their so-called needle exchange program. “The problems that I see with it, and especially the way this coalition that wants to come here and run their needle exchange goes, I don’t see the use in having “the works” that comes with it, which is the tourniquet, the cooker, everything you need, the cotton balls to use for a filter; everything you need to shoot illegal drugs comes in this kit,” said Wood. The Utah Paraphernalia Act states if an individual(s) gives out all these items with the knowledge that it is for drug use only, that’s illegal. It’s a class A misdemeanor if you give it to an adult and it’s a third-degree felony if you give it to anyone under the age of 18 years old.

If a needle exchange program is brought into the area it should be at a stationary location so that the services are readily available, but most importantly so that the used needles are properly disposed of and not just thrown about on roads, sidewalks and parks putting innocent community members in harm’s way. Wood added, “The way these folks want to do this one is they want to give out a pack of needles for you don’t even have to get them any, they said one or less, but at thirty needles come in a pack. I think if they’re going to do a needle exchange, I think a needle for needle would seem to be best that way you aren’t throwing them away.” UNHC would only come to the area twice a month to provide their services which defeats suitable disposal of dirty needles.

Currently, there is a medication program that has been developed through the county jail that supports recovering addicts to succeed in living a clean and sober lifestyle. “Naltrexone is a pill that a person can take every day, it costs about a $1.00 a day to do it and we’ve done an experiment in our jail with drug court participants. Out of 19 drug court participants that have been on this since last August, eighteen of them are still clean and sober, one of them as failed, that one just refused to take the pill,” stated Wood. This is a healthier method for individuals who want to live a life free of addiction instead of providing them with the tools to continue down a path of destruction that not only affects them but also members of the public.

Wood has done a lot of footwork by speaking with local and state dignitaries about the Utah Paraphernalia Act that was passed in 2016. He strongly urges community members who have concerns to voice their opinions with their local and state dignitaries before October’s reevaluation of Utah needle exchange programs in Utah.