San Diego City Council Votes To Reinstate Needle-Exchange Program

The San Diego City Council on Tuesday voted 6-1 to reinstate a needle-exchange program to reduce the spread of HIV, hepatitis and other bloodborne diseases, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (Oakes, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/12). The city's needle-exchange program was shut down in July 2005. Supporters of the program said they were confident that it would be reinstated because the mayor supports it and because a new law that took effect Jan. 1 removes a requirement that local governments must declare a health emergency every two weeks to allow needle-exchange programs. The Alliance Healthcare Foundation plans to contribute $386,400 to the program to pay for staffing and supplies for the next two years (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 7/7). According to City Council member Toni Atkins, community input is needed to determine where needle-exchange clinics should be established (San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/12).