SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Sandré R. Swanson’s (D-Oakland) AB 501, which would require pharmaceutical manufacturers of syringes and other injection devices to provide their consumers with a safe needle disposal kit, passed the Senate Health Committee on a 6-3 vote after a long hearing that ended last night at 8:30 pm.   

The bill, sponsored by the Alameda County Sharps Coalition and the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, will help consumers comply with current law, which forbids them from throwing used needles into residential waste systems, starting September 1, 2008.  Specifically, it will direct pharmaceutical companies to provide “at home” patients who use injection devices to treat diabetes, hepatitis B and C, HIV, arthritis, allergies, or multiple sclerosis with a returnable safe sharps disposal container, which can be taken or mailed to appropriate disposal sites. 

Speaking before the Senate Health Committee, Swanson said:  “The unsafe disposal of sharps is a public safety and health issue, which impacts our local governmental agencies and the public as well. AB 501 will solve this problem by enabling consumers to comply with existing law and codifying existing best practices in the industry. ” 

Nationally, at least 3 billion injections occur yearly outside of the health care setting, including about 2 billion injections administered by people with diabetes, and patients receiving home health care. 

Approximately 1 in 12 households have someone who must self-administer injections to treat diabetes, serious allergies, multiple sclerosis or other medical conditions.  Most of these used needles end up in household trash.  The urgent need to keep more than 3 billion used medical sharps out of the municipal waste stream each year has gained serious attention, as evidenced by recent U.S. Environmental Protections Agency (EPA) regulations and the passage of new state laws making it illegal to throw sharps into the garbage. 

Ms. Lara Sim, representing the Alameda Sharps Coalition, testified that the need for the legislation is vital to ensure the safety of workers who may unknowingly get pricked or cut by the needles.  “The needles are so small and fine that they can pierce any protective gloves or clothing worn by recycle or other sanitation workers.  This creates liability issues for local governmental agencies and puts a great number of workers in danger,” said Ms. Sim. 

“This legislation is a pro-active approach toward the impact that one million Californians who must self-inject prescription medications generate in the solid waste stream.  It is an environmental, public health and workers’ safety bill,” concluded Swanson.

AB 501 now goes to the full Senate for consideration.