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Chattanooga’s needle exchange program has become a ‘safe haven’ for people who inject drugs

An example of a care kit which includes clean syringes, bandages, sterile wipes and a clean cooking container is demonstrated at Chattanooga CARES on April 6, 2018. Chattanooga CARES has implemented the city's first syringe exchange program, which provides clean syringes in exchange for used needles in an effort to reduce HIV and hepatitis infections among intravenous drug users.
An example of a care kit which includes clean syringes, bandages, sterile wipes and a clean cooking container is demonstrated at Chattanooga CARES on April 6, 2018. Chattanooga CARES has implemented the city's first syringe exchange program, which provides clean syringes in exchange for used needles in an effort to reduce HIV and hepatitis infections among intravenous drug users. An example of a care kit which includes clean syringes, bandages, sterile wipes and a clean cooking container is demonstrated at Chattanooga CARES on April 6, 2018. Chattanooga CARES has implemented the city's first syringe exchange program, which provides clean syringes in exchange for used needles in an effort to reduce HIV and hepatitis infections among intravenous drug users.

By Elizabeth Fite 4 min read

Chattanooga’s syringe exchange program started just over a year ago with the goal to prevent infectious diseases and encourage safe needle disposal, but program manager Ashley Ewald said it’s become much more.

“It’s a safe haven for people who inject drugs. It’s a place for them to come and not feel judged. It’s a place for them to feel heard and understood,” said Ewald, harm reduction manager at Cempa Community Care, a local nonprofit organization focused on HIV and infectious disease prevention.

Hamilton is one of four counties in Tennessee with a syringe exchange program, launched last spring after the practice became legal in the state.

STEP TN, which stands for Syringe Trade and Education Program of Tennessee, is operated locally by Cempa and works alongside East Tennessee State University to run a second site in Washington County. The state’s two other syringe exchange programs are in Knoxville and Nashville.

The free, anonymous program allows participants to exchange used needles for sterile ones. Research supports that giving people who inject drugs clean needles curbs the spread of blood-borne diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis C, because those who are desperate to get high often reuse needles if that’s their only option.