Sacramento City Council Approves Needle-Exchange Program

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3. Sacramento City Council Approves Needle-Exchange
Program

The Sacramento, Calif., City Council on Tuesday
voted 8-0 to establish a needle-exchange program in
the city in an effort to reduce the spread of HIV and
other bloodborne diseases among injection drug users,
the Sacramento Bee reports. The ordinance will provide
government agencies and not-for-profit organizations
with legal support to seek grants for the
establishment of a needle-exchange program, according
to council member Sandy Sheedy, who led efforts to
create the program. The Sacramento County Department
of Health and Human Services will oversee any
needle-exchange program in the city. Other details of
how the program will operate -- including who will
directly manage the exchange or where it will be
located -- have yet to be outlined. "We may never
actually win the war on drugs," Sheedy said, adding,
"But we can take steps to protect the health of our
community and residents." Some health advocates
welcomed the measure, saying needle-exchange programs
are an effective means of controlling the spread of
diseases among IDUs. About 15,000 Sacramento County
residents use injection drugs daily, according to the
Sacramento health department. Contaminated needles are
linked to almost 20% of AIDS cases in California,
according to the state department of health
(Sacramento Bee, 1/24).