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Preferred term

needle exchanges  

Definition

  • Syringe exchange and distribution programs for injecting users of illicit drugs were developed to reduce the spread of blood-borne diseases (e.g., human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus). When people who inject illicit drugs cannot obtain sterile syringes due to legal restrictions on purchasing or possessing them, they frequently share needles. [Source: Encyclopedia of Street Crime in America; Needle Exchanges]

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URI

https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/needle_exchanges

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