Why syringe exchange?
Each year, approximately 8,000 Americans contract HIV/AIDS and approximately 12,000 Americans contract the hepatitis C virus directly or indirectly from sharing contaminated syringes. Almost 1/3 of every reported HIV/AIDS case in the U.S. has been attributed, either directly or indirectly, to injection drug use. Sixty percent of hepatitis C cases are attributable to injection drug use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have stated that syringe exchange programs “can be an effective component of a comprehensive strategy to prevent HIV and other blood-borne infectious diseases in communities that choose to implement them.” Making clean, sterile syringes available is a simple, cost-effective method of saving lives and providing care to hard to reach populations. Great strides were made last year when Congress lifted the ban against Washington DC using its local tax dollars to support syringe exchange. Unfortunately, since 1988, there has been a Congressional ban on the
