Social Policy Assignment Paper: Needle Exchange Policy (Essay Sample)

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Social Policy Paper
Needle Exchange Policy
Needle exchange program is one of the principal harm reduction measures that seek to control the spread of blood based viruses and other pathogens such as HIV or Hepatitis C. This is mostly enforced amongst people that inject drugs into their bodies as opposed to smoking. With almost 20% of the people that inject drugs being infected with such deadly diseases, while almost 30% of HIV infections in areas that are not within sub Saharan Africa coming about due to the injection of drugs, such policies are very central controlling this otherwise global epidemic (Gable, 25).
The advocates of this policy always argue that the transmission of HIV via the blood can effectively be averted by implementing the exchanges of needles. This is because the policy empowers the people who inject drugs (PWID) in protecting themselves as well as others from HIV. Several studies have indicated that through the providing an accessible as well as alternative to the sharing of needles, the transmission of HIV within these communities can effectively be brought under control. It has to be noted that the type of harm reduction is still relatively controversial and its implementation scale varies significantly between the various countries in the world (Harris, Bernard and Nancy, 78).
There are still a huge number of individuals that do not support this program amongst communities that are ravaged by drug abuse. Some have mainly argued that this is an immoral practice. Opponents argue that giving such needles to drug addicts in not the most effective way of tackling the drug menace. Some have viewed this practice as a way of aiding and abetting a practice that many are trying to do away with (Harris, Bernard and Nancy, 102). The problem of drug abuse is way more than the increased infections of hepatitis C and AIDS. Therefore, this means that a program that is designed to simply provide clean needles will not work (Harris, Bernard and Nancy, 112).
Even though it is argued that the policy slows down the spread of these viral diseases, the clean needle programs are eventually toxic and destructive in a community or society. They serve to address a single symptom while at the same time offering the illusion of being able to solve the drug addiction problem that is very multi-pronged. Handing out the needles effectively cultivates a culture of drug dependence since the addicts are effectively given the tools required to get a fix. The sterile needles provide the path that has least resistance as opposed to addressing the deep laying psychoses of the problem. The practice reduces the cost of the drugs thus freeing up extra money to be used to purchase more drugs (Gable, 55).
I think that even though offering free needles plays a central role in reducing the spread of these deadly diseases, there are far better methods of tackling the drug problem than legally allowing the indulging of the same through free needles. These other methods are developing more opportunities for counseling as well as extending health coverage for the drug users that are not insured (Gable, 62).
Sex Offender Registries
This is a system in several states that are designed to allow various government authorities to keep tracking the residence as well as activities of convicted sex offenders. It mostly includes those that have already served their jail time and have been freed back into the general population. In the United States, this kind of registration is always accompanied by the requirement for notifications (Fenner, 17). This information is made available to the rest of the society via a public website or any other means available. In several of the jurisdictions, the registered sex offenders face extra restrictions that are not applicable to the other probationers or parolees.
The critics of this practice of having a list of publicly accessed sex offenders have the following arguments in criticizing the practice. Many view the practice as being very dehumanizing. The sex offender lists serve to dehumanize the offenders. This is made even more complicated by the ignorant and fearful people that go through the list who go on to ostracize these listed offenders (Wright, 63). They go ahead to mock them thus driving them away and not giving them the opportunity to integrate with society. This contributes to them having an unstable mental health which increases the likelihood of them eventually turning out to be repeat offenders. In other words, this offense turns out to be a scar that one is forced to carry around for their entire life. It reduces their probability of securing any gainful employment thus effectively hampering their efforts at rehabilitation (Wright, 88).
There is no other crime in the U.S that attracts similar kinds of punishment. Burglars, murderers or fraudsters do not have their own lists that are accessible to the whole society. Since the law should be consistent, the judicial system becomes unfair when it infringes on the rights of a specific group of offenders since there are no parallel procedures in the punishment of the other crimes in the world. This practice also significantly promotes vigilantism since most of the times; the people in the community take it upon themselves to personally rid their areas of the offenders. There have been stubborn reports of sex offenders who get harassed or worse murdered by their new neighbors due to the fact that they appear on the list of shame (Fenner, 44).
On the other hand, publicly documenting a list of these offenders may not be all doom and gloom. The lists may enable the neighbors to be more cautious especially in letting their young children to interact with such offenders. This may reduce the likelihood of them or their friends and family members being the next victims of a serial sex offender. However, in my view, the rights of one individual (offender) are infringed upon in order to protect other citizens even after serving time in prison. This becomes something like an extended prison sentence that one can only get out of through death. I think the list should only be available to law enforcement officials in the community to enable both the sex offenders and the rest of the people to freely live their lives. This will also ensure that the most of the sex offenders effectively integrate into the community thus increasing the likelihood of rehabilitation of the individual (Fenner, 92).
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