When Charleston shut down its syringe access program in 2018, public health experts warned that an HIV crisis could follow.
Now it’s here.
In an in-depth piece from 100 Days in Appalachia, reporter Lauren Peace documents the fallout—including how SOAR WV’s grassroots harm reduction work tried to fill the gap and what happened when their efforts came under police investigation.
“All the city is doing is setting us up for failure… I watched somebody pick up out of a sharps container the other day… I just shook my head.”
— Chris, SOAR WV participant
“Doing nothing is unconscionable… This is a conversation about better policy and legislation that’s driven by people’s needs.”
— Brooke Parker, SOAR board vice president
“We come here and we feel welcomed… Here I can get what I need. We feel good, safe.”
— TiTi, SOAR community member
