Congress Lifts Washington, DC Syringe Funding Ban

This is the first time in nearly a decade that a syringe exchange program in the District of Columbia will receive public funds to carry out vital efforts to prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis C among people who inject drugs. Lifting the local funding ban could not have come at a more critical time. A DC government authored report released in late November determined that Washington, DC has the highest HIV/AIDS rate of all cities in the nation. Moreover, nearly 21% of all cases of HIV transmission in the District are due to injection drug use.

“This is a huge step in helping to reduce HIV and AIDS in Washington, DC,” said Naomi Long, director of the Washington Metro office for the Drug Policy Alliance. “We are pleased that Congress decided to stop playing politics with the lives of intravenous drug users in D.C. at a time when the District is suffering from an HIV/AIDS crisis.”