In the whirr of preparations for Hurricane Irma, a needle exchange program in Miami's Overtown neighborhood handed out extra syringes to heroin users. Drug users took chances during storms, researchers found, avoiding evacuation to stay near their dealers or sharing needles with strangers putting themselves in danger of HIV and hepatitis. "Disasters like this interrupt treatment," said Enrique Pouget, whose team interviewed 300 injection drug users in New York after the 2012 storm. Drug users equipped with Narcan can save others who overdose. "There's people that are going to be without jobs and without homes because of this hurricane," Kinzly said.

Source: ABC News September 09, 2017 14:47 UTC