California County to Start Needle Exchange

On Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors unanimously authorized a plan to start a needle-exchange program and permit pharmacists to sell up to 10 syringes to adults without a prescription.

An estimated 324 county residents are living with HIV. Health officials hope that the two-pronged approach will help reduce rates of blood-borne infections such as HIV and hepatitis C in the county. The closest needle exchange is in Santa Maria. Such programs have been shown to reduce hepatitis C incidence by 50 percent.

Though critics argue that syringe exchange programs encourage and condone drug use, the research suggests otherwise. "Many studies have shown that needle exchange does not recruit new injection drug users," said Dr. Greg Thomas, the county's public health director. "Syringe exchange programs act as a bridge to get injection drug users into treatment and other social services," he said.

A policy brief by the Center for Health Improvement said addicts who participated in a needle-exchange program in Oakland were twice as likely to stop sharing needles after six months, compared to those who did not use the exchange.

Bull Chaney, an HIV-positive former addict who now does AIDS outreach and education for the county, said he supports the board's decision. "This is a no-brainer," said Chaney. "It's a huge harm reducer for our people and our communities."

Thomas is expected to present to the board a more detailed proposal for the exchange program in the upcoming weeks.

Back to other news for March 9, 2006