By ANDY GARDNER

As local drug overdose numbers climb, ACR Health is quadrupling the number of people who deliver clean needles to St. Lawrence County intravenous drug users through its peer-delivered syringe exchange program.

“There’s clearly a need, especially in the North Country region where there’s not an established syringe exchange office location to visit,” said ACR Director of Prevention Services Erin Bortel. “We know there’s an uptick in overdose fatalities across the region.”

Those enrolled in peer-delivered syringe exchange are given a card that protects them under public health law if police catch them with a needle or if it contains drug residue. It does not shield from other charges. The enrollee can call ACR and get needles delivered by a local person who also provides other paraphernalia used to inject drugs, shows them how to use safely and takes away their used needles for disposal.

Currently, St. Lawrence County has one person who facilitates the program and answers to ACR.

“We’re in the process of adding folks right now. I believe we have about four additional people … in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties,” Bortel said.

She says the program helps prevent the spread of diseases such as hepatitis C and HIV.

“We know there are youth injecting dugs that might be susceptible or transmitting hepatitis C … it allows a safety net for people not engaged in other services or healthcare,” Bortel said.

The program can also prevent the public from coming into contact with dirty needles. Hypodermic syringes can transmit hepatitis C and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, to people who come into contact with needles disposed on the streets.

There were more than 80 instances of used needles found in public in Massena and Ogdensburg just between Jan. 1 and the end of April this year.

The day after the general election, ACR sent out a statement encouraging New Yorkers enrolled under the Affordable Care Act to switch to New York State of Health.

The agency says Donald Trump’s presidency threats the ACA, but New York’s health system is self-sustaining and would not suffer under cuts the president-elect has pledged to make to the federal health system.

“Even if the Affordable Care Act disappears, NYSOH is self-sustaining and has been operating on its own for two years now. Mr. Trump has said that he wants to give governmental control back to each state, and we will advocate for New York to stay invested in health care," their statement reads.

Bortel said the needle program should be fine once Trump takes the White House.

“A majority of the support for all syringe exchange activities is state money, not federal money,” she said. “We’re lucky to be in a state that has allocated harm reduction funding … I don’t expect that to change in the near future.”

She said the health insurance and syringe issues are linked.

“The Affordable Care Act doesn’t directly impact syringe exchange services. Clients have been able to take advantage of services from being insured” such as hepatitis C treatments, Bortel said. “As our country’s priorities change … we’re going to have to look at treatment access to hepatitis C especially … and prioritize for people who need these services.

“We need to make sure people get to right doctors and these treatments can be paid for. It’s quite expensive.”

Hepatitis C is a contagious, bloodborne liver disease. Until recently, it was not treatable.

Bortel said anyone who wants to learn more about health insurance or enroll in the peer-delivered syringe exchange can visit acrhealth.org or call 1-800-475-2430.

ACR’s full statement on the Affordable Care Act:

“While we don’t know exactly what will happen under a Trump Presidency, we do know this: Our clients matter and they count on us. Threats to repeal the Affordable Care Act are serious and we will do our best to fight them.

As a result of the Affordable Care Act, our Navigators have personally assisted 30,000 people find and use their health care coverage.

An important thing to keep in mind is that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is very invested in New York State of Health (NYSOH). Even if the Affordable Care Act disappears, NYSOH is self-sustaining and has been operating on its own for two years now. Mr. Trump has said that he wants to give governmental control back to each state, and we will advocate for New York to stay invested in health care.

Our message to consumers is: Business as usual. Get covered, update your insurance. For those who ask, what is going to happen - no one knows. ACR Health believes it is better to have coverage than none at all. Health insurance is not going away. Medicaid is not going away. ACR Health will be here for you.

Here in New York, today and in the weeks to come, we will work to reassure our clients and our colleagues that New York is a progressive state and that we know that our policymakers will help our clients maintain their coverage options and new found rights.

We will continue to fight and we will continue to make New Yorkers’ lives better.”