In an effort to better respond to the needs of people who use narcotics and other drugs — and to address the toll of opioids and overdose on the community — Arapahoe County Public Health is launching a new mobile harm reduction service called Prevention Point. PHOTO BY KRISTIN OH, Sentinel Staff 
In an effort to better respond to the needs of people who use narcotics and other drugs — and to address the toll of opioids and overdose on the community — Arapahoe County Public Health is launching a new mobile harm reduction service called Prevention Point. PHOTO BY KRISTIN OH, Sentinel Staff 
In an effort to better respond to the needs of people who use narcotics and other drugs — and to address the toll of opioids and overdose on the community — Arapahoe County Public Health is launching a new mobile harm reduction service called Prevention Point. PHOTO BY KRISTIN OH, Sentinel Staff
AURORA | Arapahoe County Public Health has launched a new mobile service to serve people who use narcotics and other drugs in an effort to “reduce harm” in the community.
The new program, called Prevention Point, is a new way for Arapahoe County Public Health to better help people suffering from addiction, health officials said. The service will be implemented across the county, including in Aurora.
The program already serves clients through fixed-location services, according to a statement from the county. Having the mobile program will allow the county to meet people where they are, which they said will help build trust with individuals.
“The focus is really on overdose prevention,” Clinton Whatley, Arapahoe County’s harm reduction manager, said. “We’re in the worst overdose crisis we’ve ever been in so we’re trying to help get us out of that.”
“Since 2017, opioid addiction has been considered a public health emergency in the United States and a rapid increase in overdose deaths — driven largely by the spread of illicit fentanyl — has contributed to more than 81,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2022,” health officials reported in a statement. “Arapahoe County saw 180 deaths last year due to opioids.”
Harm reduction is health-provider vernacular for reducing the risk of injury, overdose and death through cooperation and intervention with drug users. Officials said the mobile unit will likely focus on setting up at or near homeless communities.
The mobile service, which is housed in a renovated RV, can care for two people at a time.
Whatley added that the mobile services operational hours and locations have yet to be determined. However, they will post the schedule on the county website by the beginning of March.
Some of the services the mobile unit provides include rapid testing for HIV, Hepatitis C and syphilis, other STI testing, Narcan distribution and distribution of condoms.
The mobile unit has a bathroom, a private exam and counseling room and heat and air conditioning.
Elicia Chacon, senior health educator for Arapahoe Public Health, said the immunizations team has done some outreach in the community “so hopefully they’ll be able to be in here with us and offer a variety of vaccines.”
She added they could possibly partner with other health departments and organizations and “get as much out to the community as we can.”
Prevention Point was funded by money from the opioid settlement. Arapahoe County received $2 million from opioid manufacturers, $265,402 of which were allocated to Arapaho Public Health.
“Anybody is welcome,” Chacon said. “Just because we work with people who use drugs or people who might be at risk of opioid overdose…come check us out. Come talk to us because we might have something to offer you.”
This program does nothing to reduce the use of drugs, sale of drugs, or to stop the unborn child from becoming addicted to drugs. This program does nothing to stop the lawlessness that follows drug addicts — such as burglaries or theft, the use of young kids by drug dealers to distribute drugs, and the exchange of sex for drugs. Why would Arapahoe County fund the continued use of dangerous drugs that usually end up requiring expensive hospitalization? And why send this team to homeless camps instead of a cleanup team or the police when homeless camps are banned in most parts of the county?!
It would have been much better to use the one time funds for intensive medically supervised intervention for the individuals that truly wanted to get clean.
BTW…Arapahoe County is announcing that they will need more tax funds to continue to provide services. I will be voting NO to any new taxes as long as this mobile “clinic” is operating in our county.