By QUINCY CROMER/The Daily Journal

August 24, 2005

The full state Senate approved Assemblywoman Patty Berg's needle-exchange bill Tuesday, moving the measure just one step away from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk for consideration.

Assembly Bill 547 awaits a concurrence vote from the Assembly floor before heading to the governor, and the full Assembly has supported the bill, so passage is expected, according to Berg.

Supported by California's public health officers and law enforcement groups, the bill is designed to help fight the spread of HIV-AIDS and Hepatitis-C. The measure would eliminate a section of state law that requires cities and counties to declare a health emergency every two weeks to operate a needle-exchange program.

"This bill is about saving lives and protecting communities from disease. It was in everyone's interest that we find common ground, and I am very happy that we did," Berg, D-Eureka, said.

Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar version of the measure last year, but Berg has since worked closely with administration officials to craft a bill the governor could support. She has also drawn support from the California Peace Officers' Association and the California Narcotic Officers' Association, both of which have opposed similar measures proposed by Berg.

This is the third year Berg has authored a bill regarding needle-exchange programs, but this is the first time she has received support from law enforcement agencies.

The governor's office would not speculate on planned action for the measure after the Senate approved the bill with a 24-15 vote Tuesday.

According to Berg, exchange programs have proven effective in controlling the spread of blood-borne diseases and not only protect intravenous drug users, but everyone who is knowing or unknowingly linked to them.

The Mendocino County AIDS Volunteer Network operates the local needle-exchange program and distributed some 76,000 clean syringes in the county last year to help battle HIV, Hepatitis-C and other communicable diseases.

According to MCAVN Executive Director Cyril Colonius, Berg's bill would benefit existing programs and possibly open other needle-exchange efforts in counties without established programs.

"We are doing needle exchanges and it would be hard to suddenly stop it for two weeks and start it again. The HIV and HCV (Hepatitis-C Virus) crisis does not stop every two weeks," Colonius said.

"We are actually collecting 75,000 syringes out of the community because most exchanges are made on a one-to-one basis. Last year, we got back about 2,000 syringes less than the estimated 76,000 we gave out."

The local exchange program started in 2001 and there was actually an underground exchange for clean needles before that time, Colonius said.

Distributing needles through in-house exchanges in Ukiah and Fort Bragg, MCAVN also operates a secondary exchange program where volunteers network with drug users in the area to distribute clean needles.

MCAVN is one of only five such programs in the state and receives some $76,000 annually from the California Office of AIDS to recruit needle users.

"We recruit needle users and people who have contact with needle users as peer educators. The goal is to recruit 15 people each year," Colonius said.

"We have conversations with people about topics that we are concerned about to try and reduce their risks. We are currently engaging with 500 or so needle users and we probably have about 2,500 needle users in the county. Our goal is to make every injection a safe injection."

With local program participants exchanging anywhere from one to 200 needles, Colonius said they are constantly talking with people to become involved with the secondary exchange program. With some 5,000 cases of Hepatitis-C and about 150 individuals who have contracted HIV currently living in Mendocino County, he said needle exchange programs and other protective measures are the best way to confront the problem.

Distributing needles, alcohol swabs, antibiotic kits, condoms, drug cookers, cotton balls and other protective materials, Colonius said MCAVN wants to develop relationships with needle users so when they are ready to address their drug use problems or want treatment, they will come back for help.

"Condoms are an attraction and needles are an attraction for users and that is a way to speak and discuss other safe practices," he said. "We are not only into the distribution of syringes, we want to create a healthy community."

For more information about needle-exchange programs or MCAVN, call 462-1923 or visit the local AIDS volunteer network at 148 Clara Ave.

Quincy Cromer can be reached at udjqc@pacific.net .