I live in a very conservative county in Wisconsin and the sheriff, district attorney and the head of the county drug enforcement task force are all in favor of needle exchange programs. They have also supported supplying addicts with narcan and a state law that waives the Len Bias law for people who call 911 when someone OD’s.
Heroin is a monster of a drug and does a great job destroying lives. At least without HIV, an addict has some vain hope of getting clean.
I spent a couple weeks last summer working on a series about heroin addiction and all I can say is to never touch the stuff. It is life destroying.
Every cop I’ve ever talked to on the subject has said that one never really kicks heroin.