CA moves to open access to certified syringe exchange programs statewide
Big kudos to Gov. Brown and the CA Legislature. The history of SEP's in CA has been one of incremental gains, piece by piece, county by county, in recognizing and supporting exchanges' roles in a broad public health format. This proposal is groundbreaking. And in no small way a result of those exchanges that provided the local data to support this move. Personally, I find it an affirmation that we can effect larger changes from a local approach. Incremental, piece by piece. ~ pinto
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
Title 17, California Code of Regulations
Syringe Exchange Program (SEP) Certification, DPH-11-021
INFORMATIVE DIGEST/POLICY STATEMENT OVERVIEW:
The California Legislature has found and declared that scientific data from syringe
exchange programs (SEPs) have shown that SEPs can curtail the spread of HIV infection
among injection drug users, that they do not increase drug use in the population and that
SEPs can serve as an important bridge to treatment and recovery from substance use
disorders. To act upon these findings, the Legislature passed and Governor Edmund G.
Brown, Jr., signed into law Assembly Bill (AB) 604 (Skinner, Chapter 744, Statutes of
2011). AB 604 permits the California Department of Public Health, Centers for Infectious
Diseases, Office of AIDS (Department) to establish a process through which qualified
entities may apply directly to the Department for authorization to provide syringe exchange
services, a process, which the Department will term SEP “certification.” Prior to passage of
AB 604, only local governments had the legal standing to authorize SEPs. In his signing
message for AB 604, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr., directed the Department to develop
regulations to clarify the application process and criteria.
Full notice is at - http://www.cdph.ca.gov/
The link track is - Decisions pending, Opportunity for public participation, Regulations, Proposed.