Did you know that your tax dollars in Idaho currently enable and subsidize illicit drug use?
Sadly, Idaho opted to follow the lead of progressive states like California, Oregon, and Washington when our state legislature created the syringe and needle exchange program in 2019.
Progressives argue that these needle exchange programs provide the best solution to helping drug addicts avoid bloodborne illness transmission.
But instead of rescuing our friends, family, and neighbors from bondage and addiction, needle exchange programs supply clean needles so they can continue abusing drugs “safely.”
Put simply, we’re subsidizing addiction. And as Ronald Reagan once said, “If you want more of something, subsidize it.”
Rep. John Vander Woude (R-Nampa) knows this to be true. That’s why he’s sponsoring House Bill 617, which would shut down our taxpayer-funded needle exchange program.
The legislation is remarkably popular statewide. In fact, a supermajority of likely Idaho voters (65%) agree that the state should abandon this well-intentioned but misguided program.
Last week during a House Health and Welfare committee hearing, I had the opportunity to express Idaho Family Policy Center’s support for House Bill 617.
The committee heard several testimonies that day, but there was one testimony in particular that captured the attention of everyone in the room: The testimony of Del Chapel, a Nampa resident, who overcame addiction.
“It’s not that I’m not compassionate towards people with addiction—because I have actually been there,” Chapel told the committee. “You’re just enabling people by giving them syringes. You think you’re doing them a favor to inject more toxic substances in their body to destroy their life?”
The committee ended up voting 8-5 to approve the bill, sending it to the House floor with a “do pass” recommendation.
I caught Del in the hallway after the vote, and he shared with me that his testimony was incomplete in committee. He told me, “I wish I had mentioned that the reason why I was able to get help when I hit rock bottom was Jesus Christ. He was the answer to everything.”
The Bible is very clear: We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves. True love is taking the time to pour into those facing addiction by showing them the life-transforming power and love of Jesus Christ.
One Response
We, as disciples of Jesus Christ, are called to be his hands in serving his children. In serving our brothers and sisters we are expected to not only care but to be knowledgeable. While providing sterile needles to those caught in addiction certainly seems like enabling, a wide body of credible research says it is not! over 30 years of health research clarifies that, rather than enabling, persons using such safe syringe programs are 5 times more likely to enter treatment and 3 times more likely to quit using drugs. In the meantime, in Idaho through the Syringe and Needle exchange act, last year nearly one million used syringes were removed from the public. One million potential infections of persons other than those addicted were prevented. This prevention, not following our neighboring states, was the reason Idaho passed this act when asked to do so by sanitation workers. Besides preventing dangerous disposal of used needles, Idaho’s programs exchanging sterile needles also provide Narcan, to reverse fentanyl overdoses, education about avoiding infection, information about treatment and recovery. Sometimes, what everybody knows” turns out to be wrong. Syringe and Needle Exchange programs are not enabling. They are life saving