On the Wrong Side of the Tracks?: Ethical Considerations of the Needle Black Market

Abstract

Since the late 1980s, needle exchange programs (NEP s) have been great resources for intravenous drug users (IDU s), as they provide both clean needles with which IDUs can inject as well as basic health services, including HIV HIV testing and counseling. However, for reasons such as inconvenience and fear of criminalization, many IDU s opt instead to purchase their needles from illicit street sellers who acquire needles in bulk from NEP s. This ess ay considers the ethical permiss ibility of the sellers’ actions, focusing specifically on the case of a man from Philadelphia who uses the money he obtains from needle resale to feed his addiction. It is ultimately argued that the man’s actions are, in fact, ethical, as his resale of needles positively contributes to the common good by reducing the spread of disease. illicit needle sellers such as the one described in this ess ay should be embraced by the public health community since, with proper training, they can help to facilitate health promoting education for their peers.