UC Merced Undergraduate Research Journal

Despite developments in the Central Valley, some significant health disparities need addressing. Naturally, finding drug rehabilitation is difficult with limited resources. Local hospitals flood with patients requiring care, but hospitals are typically at brimming capacity. Individuals with substance use disorder face a specific issue: they do not have direct access to thoroughly clean and sterile syringes. Substance use disorder is a multifaceted condition characterized by the persistent and uncontrollable consumption of a substance despite its adverse effects. Over the years, there has been a push to establish programs that provide clean syringes at no cost when a person exchanges their existing syringe for a clean one. Even so, these Service3 Exchange Programs (SEPs) frequently have a negative connotation and perception attached to them, with people believing that they cause more issues than solutions. In many counties where the establishment of these programs remains illegal, the widespread belief is that access to clean syringes incentivizes people to start using drugs. Many people believe that clean syringes intensify the substance abuse crisis in the Central Valley, not realizing that these programs play a crucial role in preventing disease spread.