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NEXT: Needle EXchange Technology
 

 
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HOW IT WORKS

NEXT Distro “NEXT” is an online and mail-based harm reduction program. We support people who use drugs that do not have access to in-person syringe access services, harm reduction-based education, or drug user health support. NEXT uses technology and the internet to connect with individuals who are geographically isolated from services, or who cannot access them for any other reason.

Syringe Access Program + Telehealth = NEXT Distro

WHY IT WORKS

Although both sanctioned and activist syringe access programs have been emerging in communities across the country, it remains that 93% of U.S. counties have no harm reduction services. Individuals in these areas are constrained from accessing harm reduction largely by four factors - economics, technical literacy, distance, and stigma. NEXT is a new harm reduction model that uses the internet to engage and support people who use drugs.

  • Access to resources is impacted by where people live: rural and suburban people who use drugs may not have access to syringe exchange programs. By shifting harm reduction education and supply distribution to an online and mail-based model, we enable people who use drugs to receive  resources regardless of their location.

  • Access to resources is tied to economics: rural and suburban people who use drugs are limited by how far they can travel to secure harm reduction supplies, as they often live hours away from the nearest syringe exchange program. NEXT delivers supplies to their door.

  • Limited technical literacy is a barrier to accessing internet-based resources: to navigate the current scattered landscape of web-based harm reduction health resources, individuals are required to have a high level of technological literacy. NEXT tools will be consolidated within one accessible platform.

  • Negative perceptions of people who use drugs may prevent individuals from asking for help: Drug use is highly stigmatized and asking for help can be scary. NEXT allows people who use drugs to learn about drug user health resources anonymously on their computer or smartphone. We provide harm reduction education and support to program participants using telehealth strategies.