Needle exchange programs at risk of closure as state funding dries up

It’s never been easy to secure funding for Harm Reduction Sisters, a Duluth-based nonprofit that supports people struggling with addiction. But in June, it became even harder. That’s when founder Sue Purchase learned that the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) would no longer fund the organization’s syringe service program offering needle exchange, safe injection supplies and support services for drug users. 

“The MDH has always been supportive of my work,” Purchase said, adding that she’d lose $150,000 a year. “I was honestly surprised to hear that they’d made this decision.” 

Syringe service programs – SSPs in the vernacular of treatment providers – are designed to meet drug users where they’re at, without an immediate focus on getting them to ...