Syringe Exchange Programs and Land Use Zoning

North Carolina communities face the ongoing and complex challenge of the opioid epidemic. One tool for addressing the public health harms related to opioid use is the implementation of syringe exchange programs. Legalized in North Carolina in 2016, syringe exchange programs provide sterile syringes and supplies, safe syringe disposal, and the overdose-reversal drug naloxone, as well as connect individuals to treatment. Because they are relatively new to many communities, questions have arisen. What are syringe exchanges programs? And how do they relate to the local zoning ordinance? This blog outlines the basics. First, the blog provides an overview of how syringe exchange programs operate and the public health considerations for implementing them. Next, the blog provides an introduction to land use zoning and considers how local zoning might (or might not) apply to a syringe exchange program. Opioids in North Carolina Thirty-two North Carolinians every week—that is the number of individuals who died from an unintentional opioid overdose in 2017 (1,683 deaths for the year). There were 5,844 visits to hospital emergency departments for opioid overdoses. While there have been some improvements in the over-supply of prescribed opioids, there were still 522 million opioid pills dispensed to North Carolina residents in 2017. Deaths from heroin and synthetic narcotics such as fentanyl have risen dramatically. These staggering statistics are outlined on the Data Dashboard of the North Carolina Opioid Action Plan. The impacts ripple far beyond the individuals. They are felt by families, communities, businesses, and beyond. In local governments, public health officials see increased levels of substance use and [...]