Governor signs needle bill
SACRAMENTO -- Every two weeks for the past several years, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors has had to declare a health emergency to operate its needle exchange program.
Under a bill by Eureka Assemblywoman Patty Berg that was recently signed by the governor, that declaration will no longer be necessary. The bill makes it easier for cities and counties to maintain needle-exchange programs that fight the spread of blood-borne diseases.
”This bill very simply saves lives,” said Berg. “I’m very happy that it has been signed into law.”
Several county health officers throughout the state have said they would be more likely to initiate needle-exchange programs if Berg’s bill becomes law.
”This is a great moment for public health,” said Humboldt County Public Health Officer Ann Lindsay. “This bill will allow at least six more counties to conduct needle-exchange programs and protect not only injection drug users, but their families from infectious disease.”
There are currently 12 counties and two cities that have needle-exchange programs. They are the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma and Ventura, as well as the cities of Berkeley and Los Angeles.
Needle-exchange programs fight the spread of blood-borne diseases that threaten not just intravenous drug users, but also people whose lives are knowingly or unknowingly linked to them.
In California, more than 1,800 people die of AIDS every year, and 1,500 new infections occur through syringe sharing among intravenous drug users.
Another 5,000 people become infected with Hepatitis C in the same manner, according to Berg’s office.
Injection drug users are the second-largest group at risk of HIV infection, and are the primary source of heterosexual, female and perinatal transmission.
Last year, the governor vetoed a similar bill by Berg. But this year, Berg and her supporters managed to garner the support of key law enforcement groups.
In addition to sponsorship by California’s public health officers, the bill had backing from the California Peace Officers’ Association and the California Narcotic Officers’ Association.
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