New Jersey's blood supplies are at a critical low almost year-round. A number of factors are contributing to the shortage. Corporate downsizing has reduced the number of work-site blood drives in New Jersey. In addition, the aging of the population has placed greater strain on blood supplies. Blood bank officials also are still trying to dispel some stubborn misconceptions about blood donation.
Blood banks use new, sterile, disposable equipment for each donor.
If there's any good news to be found, it's that there's a vast untapped reservoir of potential donors that could reverse this spiral. Statistics show that less than 5 percent of healthy Americans donate blood. Even a slight increase in the percentage of residents who give blood could make a big difference. In general, donors can give blood every eight weeks. If those 8 million donors gave just one more time each year, the nation would have a supply of blood that would last nearly seven months.