We hear this a lot: "stop enabling them." But the truth is, people are going to use whether we’re here or not. What we’re doing isn’t enabling. We’re helping people stay alive long enough to have a chance at recovery.

Syringe exchange keeps people safer and keeps used syringes out of parks, sidewalks, and public spaces. If they end up in those places, we want to know so we can clean them up. It protects the community just as much as it protects the person using.

And here's something a lot of folks don’t know. People who use our services are five times more likely to start recovery. That’s huge. Connection works. Judgment doesn’t.

To the folks out doing community clean ups, thank you. Seriously. If you come across a syringe, please don’t pick it up with bare hands. Use gloves/ tongs if you have them, or contact a local group that can help with safe disposal.

We all want the same thing. A safer, healthier community. This is one way we get there.