April 12, 2011
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted Tuesday in favor of a bill that would make it legal to possess and distribute hypodermic syringes without a prescription. The committee amended the measure to specify where syringes could be distributed, and by whom. Jennifer Hadayia of the Washoe County Health District said 10 percent, or 60, of the new HIV/AIDS cases logged in 2009 were the result of needle sharing among intravenous drug users. SB 335 now advances to the Senate floor.