California should therefore legalize syringe sales and also end its ban on the possession of syringes. Not only would this reform promote safe needle use among IDU's, it would reduce needle-sticks suffered by peace officers conducting body searches of suspects because the incentive for IDU's to hide syringes would be eliminated. Recognizing the public health benefits of greater access to sterile syringes, several states have passed laws legalizing syringe sales and possession, including Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, and New Hampshire. Just last year, New York State passed a law allowing pharmacies to sell syringes without a prescription and permitting individuals to legally possess up to ten syringes. California should follow New York's lead in recognizing the important contribution such a change in state law would make in reducing HIV, Hepatitis C and other blood-borne infections.
Research clearly shows the benefit of changing state laws to increase access to syringes.
Studies conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Connecticut's Department of Public Health demonstrated that syringe sharing among IDU's fell 39 percent in that state following the passage of legislation to permit syringe sales through pharmacies. Importantly, accidental needle sticks among police officers declined by 66 percent as a result of decriminalizing possession of syringes in that state. Finally, the Connecticut law was not shown to increase the use of drugs or the numbers of the state's IDU's. Streamline the ability of local jurisdictions to decriminalize local syringe exchange programs. Approximately fourteen localities in California have declared local emergencies to decriminalize syringe exchange programs in their jurisdictions, including the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Marin, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, San Mateo, Sonoma and Ventura.