Letters to the DA: Excerpts Worth Reading

At one point during the pre-trial process the volunteers and their attornies actually thought the DA was going to deal. We of course know now that was never the intention. During a very small window of time in October, letters were requested of supporters to be given to the DA. In a matter of days, over 40 letters were sent to the DA. It was a fabulous show of support! Letters came from within the community, from other SEPs, from health professionals, experts, college professors, Program Directors, from Modesto to Sacramento, Washington DC to Australia. People everywhere are paying attention. Check out some of these excerpts:

• Robert Heimer, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the Yale School of Medicine and the Director of the Interdisciplinary Research Methods Core at the Yale Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS - "Our research studies have demonstrated clear benefits from providing access to sterile syringes, safe disposal of syringes, and direct services and/or referrals for substance abuse treatment, wound care, overdose prevention, HIV testing and follow-up, and other medical and social services. We know that, regardless of whether syringe exchange programs are authorized or not, they provide cost-effective, evidence-based interventions to some of the most marginalized people in the country, for pennies on the public service dollar."
• Thomas A. Helme, Community Member, Stanislaus County Citizen - "In the short 27 years that I have lived I have had the unfortunate experience of having several close family members and friends addicted to drugs and used syringes on a regular basis. A few years ago my uncle was hospitalized with a staff-infection in his heart that was caused by using a dirty needle. Doctors said that he came very close to dying, but luckily pulled through."
• Hilary McQuie, California Director of the Harm Reduction Coalition - "It is puzzling to me that 20 years later, people who are volunteering their time and energy are still getting arrested for helping the most disenfranchised, stigmatized part of our community, those in the throes of drug addiction."
• Dallas Blanchard, Director of the Fresno Needle Exchange - "And finally after 14 years of trying to save lives by doing an underground unauthorized Needle Exchange the Fresno County Board of Supervisors voted to approve our program last year. It is very hard to allow people to die from AIDS and HEP C when there is a cure... harm reduction through education and prevention which is offered during needle exchange services. This is what (they) were doing, working towards authorization and trying to save lives."
• Dr. James M. Cook, Professor of History, CSU, Stanislaus - "The problems associated with dirty needle use among drug users is something we should all be concerned about, and support should be given to any persons willing to do something about it, especially when the problem is all but ignored by government agencies."
• Serenity Griffith, Community Member, Stanislaus County Citizen - "I am a working mother who has lived in the same Modesto neighborhood for the last 29 years. I am a Program Manager for a Day Program for disabled adults in Modesto. I have first hand knowledge of how easily groups of people can be stigmatized without any thought for a solution. I have also had the misfortune of living with a drug addicted parent and know how drug use can affect so many. I believe that until someone can find a way to wipe drugs off the planet, there needs to be safe, cost effective alternatives."

These are just a few of the many wonderful letters we received. Once we have gotten permission from all of the letter writers we will have them archived on our website. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all those who spoke on behalf of the Mono Park volunteers and in favor of syringe exchange for Stanislaus County. The fight starts with you.