Community vulnerability and response to HIV epidemics among IDUs in metropolitan areas: Promises and

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• Expanding access
• to sterile syringes
• in California
• Alessandra Ross, MPH, Injection Drug Use Policy
  Program Coordinator
• California Department of Public Health, Office of
  AIDS

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California Syringe Access

• lt 40 syringe exchange programs
• 3.75 million dollars in state funding provided

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Numerous Restrictions

• Local government must authorize
• Over-the-counter (OTC) sale of syringes in
  pharmacies limited
• Patchwork approach

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Expanding syringe access solutions authorized
by the Governor and Legislature

• Syringe Exchange Programs (AB 547)
• Pharmacy Syringe Sales (SB 1159)
• AB 110 Syringe Exchange Funding

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SB 1159 (Vasconcellos)

• Allows adults to possess up to 10 syringes
• from an authorized source
• Allows possession of unlimited number of
  syringes if they are containerized for disposal

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Commonalities

• Law enforcement opposition
• Syringe exchange is being revisited
• Approval linked to disposal

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Disposal

• 2/3 of household sharps waste is generated by
  diabetics
• No statewide program
• SB 1305
• Makes it a violation of state law to dispose of
  syringes in household or commercial waste
  containers

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Syringe Exchange Programs (SEPs)

• AB 136 was signed into law in 1999
• Allowed counties and cities to authorize SEPs
  if they declared a state of local emergency

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AB 547 (Berg)

• Removed requirement that counties must declare a
  local state of emergency
• Requires local government to hold an annual
  public meeting on SEPs
• Requires local health officer to present a report
  on SEPs and local stats at the annual meeting.

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Authorizations/Funding since 2004

• San Luis Obispo
• Shasta
• City of San Diego
• City of Sacramento
• Yolo
• Los Angeles County

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• Fresno County Approves Needle Exchange Pilot
  Program
• Sunday, 21 December 2008
• Intravenous drug users can legally receive
  clean hypodermic needles in exchange for dirty
  ones in a pilot program approved Tuesday by the
  Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
• The one-year program will allow members of
  the Fresno Needle Exchange to move off the street
  and into a building where they can dispense clean
  needles without fear of arrest.

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Lake County News

• LAKEPORT The Board of Supervisors is set to
  look at Sheriff Rod Mitchell's request to set up
  a group to work on setting up the county's newly
  adopted syringe exchange program.

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Office of AIDSPrevention Branch
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OA Prevention Branch Services

• Funding for Syringe Exchange Programs
• 2.25 million over 3 years
• Secondary Syringe Exchange (SSE)
• 1.5 million over 3 years
• Technical assistance to local health departments

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OA Prevention Branch Services

• Technical assistance to SEPs
• Harm Reduction Coalition contract
• Hepatitis C testing
• Offers HCV testing as part of HIV CT Program
• 430,000/year, no end to contract
• Police DVD, Pharmacist DVD
• www.hivinfo.org

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SEPs in California

• For many, the SEP is the only place where they
  are treated with dignity (Bluthenthal et al)

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• Alessandra Ross
• Injection Drug Use Policy and Program Coordinator
• CDPH/Office of AIDS
• [phone]
• Alessandra.Ross_at_cdph.ca.gov

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