DES MOINES, Iowa — The Polk County Health Department is working with community partners to add more harm reduction lockboxes around Des Moines.
Harm reduction lockboxes consist of a community lockbox and a sharps disposal bin for needles. Inside the lockbox are harm reduction kits that contain supplies to sanitize needles before use.
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The lockboxes are primarily used by people who are addicted to drugs and who are using them intravenously.
Cases of syphilis , which can be spread by sharing needles, have been rising in Polk County over the past five years.
Madisun VanGundy, a Public Health Communications Officer with the Polk County Health Department, said that the lockboxes are critical to reducing infection spread.
“Of course, we want to encourage our clients and patients to stop using drugs altogether, but unfortunately we know it’s not that simple, it’s not that easy. So again harm reduction is a way to empower people who use drugs to set their own goals and until they’re ready to seek out treatment this harm reduction is again a great way to reduce the spread of infection like syphilis and HIV. And we really want to try to protect their health in the meantime until they’re ready to seek out treatment,” VanGundy said.