Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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San Francisco Examiner - September 25, 2002
Michael Stoll Of The Examiner Staff
California is one of only six states that still requires a prescription for syringe sales.
"Fixing California's outdated syringe laws will not only improve the health of our communities, it will remove the incentive for drug users to hide syringes, which endangers our police officers," Police Chief Earl Sanders said.
San Francisco and many other California cities have legal needle-exchange programs under a 1999 state law that allows local governments to declare a medical "state of emergency" and permit free needle exchange. But many cities have not declared a public-health emergency, leaving whole regions, such as the Sacramento area, devoid of legally available clean needles.
The bill before Gov. Gray Davis would let adult addicts buy up to 30 syringes at a pharmacy without a prescription. Sanders said it will help addicts avoid using needles contaminated with HIV, hepatitis C and other diseases.
But many of the state's largest law-enforcement organizations, including the California Narcotic Officers Association and the California Police Chiefs Association, are working hard to defeat the bill.
"The bill permits the unfettered circulation of needles with minimal oversight and no accountability," said John Lovell, a lobbyist for several law-enforcement organizations.
One local AIDS worker said San Francisco's needle exchange programs have been successful in reducing HIV infection rates among The City's addicts. But the proposed legislation could help some people who have resisted the needle-exchange culture, said Dana Van Gorder, director of state and local affairs for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
"Many users won't go to a public program because of their self-image," Van Gorder said.
In San Francisco, needles are exchanged in 17 locations six days a week. On Tuesday, AIDS Foundation worker Kevin Mosley said he had 90 clients at a South of Market needle-exchange office. Altogether, the programs distribute about two million needles a year in The City.
Sanders said he was protecting his troops.
"I've never gotten stuck but I've seen the anguish on the faces of law enforcement officers and health workers who have," Sanders said.
E-mail: mstoll@sfexaminer.com
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