10038 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 36 / Wednesday, February 23, 2011 / Notices 

Seleda Perryman, 

Office of the Secretary, HHS PRA Reports 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2011–3961 Filed 2–22–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4151–AE–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Determination That a Demonstration 

Needle Exchange Program Would be 

Effective in Reducing Drug Abuse and 

the Risk of Acquired Immune 

Deficiency Syndrome Infection Among 

Intravenous Drug Users 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, 

Department of Health and Human 

Services. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Surgeon General of the 

United States Public Health Service, 

VADM Regina Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A., 

has determined that a demonstration 

needle exchange program (or more 

appropriately called syringe services 

program or SSP) would be effective in 

reducing drug abuse and the risk of 

infection with the etiologic agent for 

acquired immune deficiency syndrome. 

This determination reflects the scientific 

evidence supporting the important 

public health benefit of SSPs, and is 

necessary to meet the statutory 

requirement permitting the expenditure 

of Substance Abuse Prevention and 

Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant funds for 

SSPs. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration (SAMHSA), 1 

Choke Cherry Road, Rockville, 

Maryland, attention John Campbell, 

240–276–2891. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. 

Department of Health and Human 

Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Administration 

administers the SAPT Block Grant 

authorized in section 1921 of Title XIX, 

Part B, Subpart II of the Public Health 

Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 300x–21). 

Section 1931(a)(1)(F) of Title XIX, Part 

B, Subpart II of the PHS Act (42 U.S.C. 

300x–31(a)(1)(F)) prohibits the 

expenditure of SAPT Block Grant funds 

to ‘‘* * * carry out any program 

prohibited by section 256(b) of the 

Health Omnibus Programs Extension 

Act of 1988’’ (42 U.S.C. 300ee–5). 

Section 256(b) prohibits the use of 

‘‘* * * funds provided under this Act or 

an amendment made by this Act...to 

provide individuals with hypodermic 

needles or syringes * * * unless the 

Surgeon General of the Public Health 

Service determines that a demonstration 

needle exchange program would be 

effective in reducing drug abuse and the 

risk that the public will become infected 

with the etiologic agent for acquired 

immune deficiency syndrome.’’ 

SSPs are widely considered to be an 

effective way of reducing HIV 

transmission among individuals who 

inject illicit drugs and there is ample 

evidence that SSPs also promote entry 

and retention into treatment (Hagan, 

McGough, Thiede, et al., 2000, Journal 

of Substance Abuse Treatment, 19, 247– 

252). According to research that tracks 

individuals in treatment over extended 

periods of time, most people who get 

into and remain in treatment can reduce 

or stop using illegal or dangerous drugs. 

In addition to promoting entry to 

treatment, there are studies that 

document injection reductions for drug 

users who participate in SSPs. Hagan, et 

al., found that, not only were new SSP 

participants five times more likely to 

enter drug treatment than non-SSP 

participants, former SSP participants 

were more likely to report significant 

reduction in injection, to stop injecting 

altogether, and to remain in drug 

treatment. A summary of the research 

on SSPs is available at http:// 

www.samhsa.gov/ssp. 

The Surgeon General of the United 

States Public Health Service has 

therefore determined that a 

demonstration syringe services program 

would be effective in reducing drug 

abuse and the risk that the public will 

become infected with the etiologic agent 

for acquired immune deficiency 

syndrome. The Department of Health 

and Human Services plans to issue 

guidelines regarding implementation 

requirements for SSPs based on this 

determination. 

Dated: February 17, 2011. 

Kathleen Sebelius, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2011–3990 Filed 2–18–11; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 4150–28–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

National Institute of Neurological 

Disorders and Stroke; Notice of Closed 

Meeting 

Pursuant to section 10(d) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as 

amended (5 U.S.C. App.), notice is 

hereby given of the following meeting. 

The meeting will be closed to the 

public in accordance with the 

provisions set forth in sections 

552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C., 

as amended. The grant applications and 

the discussions could disclose 

confidential trade secrets or commercial 

property such as patentable materials, 

and personal information concerning 

individuals associated with the grant 

applications, the disclosure of which 

would constitute a clearly unwarranted 

invasion of personal privacy. 

Name of Committee: National Institute of 

Neurological Disorders and Stroke Initial 

Review Group, Neurological Sciences and 

Disorders K. 

Date: March 10–11, 2011. 

Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Agenda: To review and evaluate grant 

applications. 

Place: Melrose Hotel, 2430 Pennsylvania 

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20037. 

Contact Person: Shanta Rajaram, PhD, 

Scientific Review Officer, Scientific Review 

Branch, NINDS/NIH/DHHS, Neuroscience 

Center, 6001 Executive Blvd., Suite 3208, 

MSC 9529, Bethesda, MD 20892. 301–435– 

6033. rajarams@mail.nih.gov. 

(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Nos. 93.853, Clinical Research 

Related to Neurological Disorders; 93.854, 

Biological Basis Research in the 

Neurosciences, National Institutes of Health, 

HHS) 

Dated: February 16, 2011. 

Anna P. Snouffer, 

Deputy Director, Office of Federal Advisory 

Committee Policy. 

[FR Doc. 2011–4014 Filed 2–22–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

National Institute of General Medical 

Sciences; Notice of Closed Meeting 

Pursuant to section 10(d) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as 

amended (5 U.S.C. App.), notice is 

hereby given of the following meeting. 

The meeting will be closed to the 

public in accordance with the 

provisions set forth in sections 

552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C., 

as amended. The grant applications and 

the discussions could disclose 

confidential trade secrets or commercial 

property such as patentable material, 

and personal information concerning 

individuals associated with the grant 

applications, the disclosure of which 

would constitute a clearly unwarranted 

invasion of personal privacy. 

Name of Committee: National Institute of 

General Medical Sciences Special Emphasis 

Panel, PSI Biology Meeting. 

Date: March 11, 2011. 

Time: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

Agenda: To review and evaluate grant 

applications. 

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