Pubdate: Tue, 26 Feb 2008 Source: Lake County Record-Bee (Lakeport, CA) Copyright: 2008 Record-Bee Contact: http://www.record-bee.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3384 Author: Tiffany Revelle CLEAN NEEDLE PROGRAM GETS THUMBS-UP LAKEPORT -- A legal needle exchange program is closer to becoming a reality after the Lake County Board of Supervisors authorized such a program Tuesday. The vote was unanimous, with supervisor Anthony Farrington absent. The board adopted a resolution that authorizes a clean needle and syringe exchange program under Assembly Bill 547, signed into law Jan. 1, 2006. In 2000, AB 136 set up a provision that protected government organizations and employees from criminal prosecution for giving hypodermic needles to injection drug users during a planned exchange, provided that a state of health emergency was declared first. AB 547 streamlined the needle exchange process by removing the requirement that a state of emergency be declared. "This will protect the future, not just the present, but the future of Lake County residents," Glenhaven resident Jeff Ott said. Ott told the board that he had used injection drugs for 11 years, and was lucky to not be infected with hepatitis C or the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). He was one of eight speakers who came forward in favor of authorizing the needle exchange. "I am not intending for this to be a platform to condone or condemn drug use or the laws pertaining to it," Lake County Public Health director Jim Brown told the board. "It is our feeling that an SEP (syringe exchange program) would be an effective measure to gain some control over and reduce the spread of HIV, AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) and hepatitis C in the county." The speakers and approximately 50 audience members wore pins with red and yellow ribbons to symbolize HIV and hepatitis C. A small syringe was attached to the ribbons, without an actual needle under each orange cap. "What if a child was stuck with a needle on a playground? What would it cost to take care of that child for the rest of its life, as opposed to the cost of prevention," Mendocino Community Health Clinic board chairman Tom Jordan said. Supervisor Rob Brown noted that possession of a hypodermic needle is a misdemeanor. He voted in favor of the resolution supporting the exchange after expressing his misgivings about his vote. "I have to look at it from the perspective of the facts, and I'm still conflicted, unfortunately, because I have not heard from law enforcement," supervisor Rob Brown said. "If this just saves one person from getting accidentally stuck, if this stops one child or one police officer from accidentally being stuck because needles are lying around, then we've done right thing," supervisor Jeff Smith said. Public health director Jim Brown said he will do research in the next 60 days into how to implement the exchange. "I don't anticipate that public health will do a syringe exchange, but we're going to see if we can possibly interest clinics or someone else who might be interested in providing those services," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart