December 21, 2021
Dear New Jersey Legislators:
We are losing a generation of loved ones and family members to the overdose crisis. In 2021, New Jersey is on track to lose more people to overdose deaths than ever previously recorded, with overdose death rates rising fastest among Black and Hispanic/Latinx residents. New Jersey’s overdose crisis compounds the existing HIV and Hepatitis C burdens borne by residents, and is exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, people living with a substance use disorder are more likely to become ill and die from COVID-19, with Black residents living with an opioid use disorder most harmed by the pandemic. Fortunately, the New Jersey State Legislature is currently considering legislation to remove barriers to syringe access (S-3009/A-4846), decriminalize syringe possession (S-3493/A-5458), and save lives. We urge you to change New Jersey’s restrictive laws by passing this legislation — immediately and with the urgency that residents at-risk of overdose deserve. As public health experts, clinical providers, and recovery advocates, we know that substance use is a public health issue and that syringe access programs are one of the best healthcare tools we have to end the overdose crisis. Decades of research show that syringe access programs decrease the harms related to substance use while not increasing violence, crime, or substance use itself. People who access syringe services also get access to HIV testing, on-site medical advice and referrals, food, hygiene products, medications for opioid use disorder like buprenorphine, recovery support, and more. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when people have access to a syringe access program they are: • • • •
Less likely to die from an opioid-related overdose Five times more likely to stop substance use that causes them problems Three times more likely to stop substance use altogether 50 percent less likely to acquire HIV and Hepatitis C
Despite the clear benefits of syringe access programs, New Jersey has woefully underutilized the lifesaving public health tool for decades. Restrictive syringe access
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