California: Council Says No to Needle Plan

On Monday, the Rancho Cordova City Council voted unanimously to oppose a proposal to legalize the sale of hypodermic needles without a prescription. Council members cited concerns, including condoning illegal drug use and the issue of improperly discarded needles. The vote made Rancho Cordova the second city in Sacramento County to formally oppose such a measure, after Folsom. Sacramento County's board of supervisors will vote on the measure Oct. 18. California Senate Bill 1159, signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in September 2004, allows pharmacies that have local government approval to sell up to 10 syringes without a prescription to people 18 and older.

Officials say about 15,000 injection drug users live in Sacramento County, and legalizing needle sales is designed to reduce the spread of HIV and hepatitis C among them. County health officer Dr. Glennah Trochet said there is no evidence that legalizing needle sales increases drug use or the proliferation of dirty needles. In some cases, Trochet said, pharmacies serve as a bridge to treatment for IDUs. The officer said studies in 45 states where a prescription is not needed for syringes show that legalizing needle sales decreases the spread of disease.

Trochet said the community has a serious problem with HIV and hepatitis C and legalizing needle sales is an effective disease-reducing strategy. County public health statistics show injection drug use is the most common HIV risk factor for women in the area and the second most common for men. About 3,200 people in Sacramento County have HIV; an average of 1,041 people in the county are diagnosed with hepatitis C each year. More than 90 percent of Sacramento County IDUs test positive for hepatitis C within a year.

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