Decades-Long Federal Funding Ban Against Needle Exchange Lifted!!!

For those in the harm reduction community who have been working for the ban to be lifted since 1988 it is certainly a happy moment! The tune of Off the Streets allies who have been active in the 20+ year struggle reflects a small sense of relief and a renewed spirit for moving forward. In places like Stanislaus County, where syringe exchange is not yet authorized, the recent actions taken by Congress and the President to lift the ban offer a little bit of wind beneath our wings. We are hopeful that it will help stimulate and support the important conversations to come here in 2010. The tough work has started, but there is still so much more to do! And although there aren't stacks of money just laying around ready to be doled out now all of a sudden, the ban being lifted does serve as a strong message in favor of practical, efficient, public health interventions. Check out some of the links below for some more insight:

• Drug Policy Alliance, December 13, 2009
• The Nation, December 21, 2009
• Housing Works, AIDS Issue Update, December 17, 2009
• HIV Prevention Justice Alliance, December 14, 2009

*VIDEO* "The Risks of the Job: Protecting Law Enforcement from Needle Stick Injury"

It is an important message for Off the Streets to share that NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS HELP PROTECT LAW ENFORCEMENT! It is an indisputable fact that services provided at syringe exchange programs are directly in line with supporting the safety of our officers working the streets. We want all members of our community to be safe from dangerous and sometimes deadly health risks that can be prevented.

• Read this October 2009 fact sheet from the Foundation for AIDS Research. Something notable that was omitted from this fact sheet is that many SEPs also offer personal size sharps containers for users to store their used syringes. If syringes are properly contained, not only does California law then protect someone carrying them, law enforcement is further protected from needle stick injuries.

• Click here to be connected to the video "The Risks of the Job: Protecting Law Enforcement from Needle Stick Injury," produced by Gretchen Hildebrand. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT VIDEO! PLEASE WATCH!

• Off the Streets' DVD copy of "Risks of the Job" is available for lending to the community or it can be viewed with Off the Streets volunteers, accompanied with other supplemental resources, and/or can be part of a larger training series. For more information contact us at offthestreetsproject@yahoo.com.

In this short video, "The Risks of the Job" shows:

• How law enforcement officers can avoid needle sticks in the field
• How officers can protect themselves when needle sticks occur
• How Syringe Exchange Programs are helping communities and law enforcement officers stay safer

Cost of Addiction is Staggering: "Solutions" Don't Make Sense

New CASA Report Finds Federal, State and Local Governments Spend Almost Half a Trillion Dollars a Year on Substance Abuse and Addiction

From Join Together - Substance abuse and addiction cost federal, state and local governments at least $467.7 billion in 2005, according to Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State and Local Budgets, a new 287-page report released today by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

The CASA report found that of $373.9 billion in federal and state spending, 95.6 percent ($357.4 billion) went to shovel up the consequences and human wreckage of substance abuse and addiction; only 1.9 percent went to prevention and treatment, 0.4 percent to research, 1.4 percent to taxation and regulation, and 0.7 percent to interdiction.

*Only 1.9% to prevention and treatment?! It just doesn't make sense! And even worse, those in the prevention field know that of that meager 1.9%, verrry little is left for prevention .... waay little. I really wish I had that statistic at my fingertips actually.

The report, based on three years of research and analysis, is the first ever to assess the costs of tobacco, alcohol and illegal and prescription drug abuse to all levels of government. The report found that the largest amount of federal and state government spending on the burden of substance abuse and addiction -- $207.2 billion, or 58 percent -- was for health care (74.1 percent of the federal burden).

*When I read a report like this, it makes me even more certain that a syringe exchange program is a necessary tool. SEPs should always be considered in the conversation of effective, efficient options for dealing with the impact of substance abuse and addiction. Especially in specific areas of the country. We are desperate here for this kind of social service and until more people know it, believe it and act on it, the impact will worsen every day.

For the complete story and to be linked to the CASA report, visit Join Together here.

**** Note: Join Together is a good resource for up to date information on a variety of drug and alcohol topics. Their sources come from all over and offer a wide variety of research portals.

Central Valley Injection Drug Epidemic: WE'RE #1!!!

NEW YORK-A study published in the Journal of Urban Health (Sept. 2, 2004) indicates that rates of injection drug use in California’s Central Valley are among the nation’s highest. Researchers concluded that Fresno has the highest number of users of illegal injection drugs per capita of any large U.S. metropolitan area, above second-place Baltimore. To read the complete article on the Drug Policy Alliance Network website, click here.

Tell Us Something, Anything.... We're Listening!!!

One of the most important things to come from the work of Off the Streets is the valuable 'snapshot' we will be able to formulate of Stanislaus County. We intend to take away wonderful insight over time as we continually learn more and more about various aspects of the community, our issues, and the unique people who exist here.

A critical aspect of this journey we are on at Off the Streets is talking directly with people about their life experiences. People from all over - not just drug users and treatment professionals. So many others have so much to say. We are finding that folks just want the chance to talk for a minute (or write, or draw, or sing!). If you want to share it, we want to hear it (or see it)! We want to know your side - things you have felt, heard, or seen, people you know (names omitted), how you have been affected or have seen others affected. It could be insight from your job, or your neighborhood, within your family or from within yourself. Anything at all you have to offer and feel comfortable sharing is valuable to the Off the Streets team's complete understanding of the circumstances in Stanislaus County. We really do need you. Some of you may even be interested in speaking engagements or telling your story to young people - we can arrange that too - just let us know!

Send us an email for more information if you are interested in sharing with us! We would love the opportunity to learn from you. It is a key piece of the puzzle actually. Sure, we at Off the Streets are here to educate and promote awareness for others - but you have something real to offer us too and we value that chance to hear from you firsthand. The more we can all learn from each other the better. Don't you agree??

For more details, please contact us at offthestreetsproject@yahoo.com!!!

Needles on the Streets: What Do You Do?

FREE TRAINING and RESOURCE MATERIALS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST!! Off the Streets Project is committed to promoting public health and safety, including by cleaning up used syringes in our neighborhoods. Members of Off the Streets are trained on and adhere to specific guidelines while attending formal clean-ups. We choose specific areas, go in to the community in teams and while cleaning up, volunteers are also doing outreach and education with neighbors. Upon completion of the clean-up, photographs are taken, the findings are counted and analyzed, and volunteers debrief the day. All pertinent information is saved in an Excel spreadsheet. Some tips for dealing with used syringes:

• Never pick up used syringes with your bare hands. Use care. Always use tongs and sturdy gloves and never touch the needle end - even if it is capped. Wash hands after handling paraphernalia.
• Place used syringes in a puncture-resistant container. Bio-hazard containers are best, but marked hard plastic detergent bottles and metal cans are better than soft-sided containers.
• After collection, used syringes can be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste facility at 1716 Morgan Road in Modesto, Friday and Saturday, 9am - 1pm. Call (209) 525-4123 for details or visit www.co.stanislaus.ca.us/ER/projhhw.htm
• You can also contact Off the Streets Project at offthestreetsproject@yahoo.com for free pick-up.
• IMPORTANT! If you or someone you know is accidentally stuck by a used needle, contact the health department for HIV testing, prevention, and/or immunization against Hepatitis. Call (209) 558-4818 or (800) 834-8171 or visit the county website: www.schsa.org/PublicHealth/programs/pages/immunizationdepartment.html.