*EVENT* Rally for Public Heath & Safety: Supporting Syringe Exchange for Stanislaus County!

DATE:      February 1, 2010
TIME:      Noon
WHERE:  Stanislaus County Courthouse
                Corner of 11th and I Street
                Downtown Modesto

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT! Come join those in our community concerned with the public health, safety, & wellness of Stanislaus County. We will rally in support of HEP C and HIV/AIDS education &prevention through SYRINGE EXCHANGE AUTHORIZATION on FEBRUARY 1st starting at NOON (speakers @ 12:45). Volunteers arrested at a Syringe Exchange Program at Mono Park in April 2009 will attend a hearing inside at 1:30 to find out if they will be allowed to use a defense of medical necessityn when they go to trial March 23. This is a crucial phase in the misdemeanor case against the public health workers. 

Meet in front of the Stanislaus County Courthouse on the corner of 11th & I in Downtown Modesto for an afternoon of solidarity against an emerging public health crisis. Come out and support common sense change for a better Stanislaus County!

• 60-90% of  injection drug users have Hepatitis C.
• Hepatitis is called the "Giant in the Closet" by Stanislaus County Health Services Agency in 2008 - it is the #2 infectious disease in the county. 
• The Central Valley is home to the highest rates of injection drug use in the nation.
• Injection drug related HIV/AIDS cases in Stanislaus County are among the highest in California.

But in 2008, Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors denied the Civil Grand Jury recommendations, ignored a laundry list of experts from both here and abroad, and voted against this widespread, valid, & absolutely necessary DISEASE PREVENTION tool.

SEPs provide valuable health and social services for pennies in comparison, saving taxpayers countless dollars. Prevention is far less expensive than any kind of treatment! And for many stigmatized individuals, families, and communities syringe exchange programs are their only bridge to education, empowerment, and hope. SEPs do not increase drug use, crime, or danger to communities, and they do not glamorize a lifestyle.

In fact, the very opposite is true.

For more information about what we do, to tell us your stories, volunteer, or for sources of information listed here, please contact us!

This is for real.

This Is Why: Poignant Words from Off the Streets Discussion Board

OK...as an X-IV drug user, I wil tell you first hand that we need to have clean needles available. Personally, I cannot count how many times I have shared works, just to not be sick!!! And that is someting I said I would NEVER, EVER do...as we all know, addiction is a disease of progression, and we will do whatever it takes to secure our fix. I recall picking up discarded works from the side of the street, and in gutters...horrible...I am grateful to have 2 years free of heroin now! I know to be cautious, all I have regained that was once lost could be lost again faster than one could ever imagine...we will not stop drug use all together...but we can provide the equipment needed to ensure drug use that will not spread the diseases of HIV and HEP C. I was active for 10 years and I did contract HEP C...by the grace of the Goddess (in which I choose to believe)...I am HIV negative...How this happened, I can only say that I was pulled from a life of degredation and pain...and I will be grateful for everyday that I have here on Earth...SOBER and CLEAN... I firmly support making needle kits available to help ensure public safety. I am not supporting drug use, but...an addict will stop at nothing to get what they need at that moment in time...why can't we make it just a little safer? Thanks for listening... 

(from Off the Streets Facebook Discussion Board, November 2009)

The Faith-Based Population: An Important Piece of the Puzzle

The significance of the faith-based population as a resource and connection to treatment and counseling for substance users and their families cannot be understated. Especially in Stanislaus County, churches and other spiritual groups have consistently been one of the strongest options for those in need of support in one way or another. The Central Valley is unique in diversity, but no matter one's background, the syringe exchange issue binds us all. It is our belief (and hope) that the faith-based community will play a very significant role in the future of syringe exchange in Stanislaus County. There are several religious groups and denominations with official positions on syringe exchange:

• The Episcopal Church (1994) Resolution A003
• Presbyterian Church - USA General Assembly's 1993 resolution & the 212th Assembly Overture 00-79 in 2000
• United Church of Christ The UCC's HIV/AIDS Ministries urge people to advocate for needle exchange programs in your community.
• Unitarian Universalist Association (2002) Statement of Conscience
• The Society of Christian Ethics (2000) The SCE Needle Exchange Program Resolution (this link will lead you to an excerpt on IDPI website)
• Union for Reform Judaism (1997) Commission on Social Action resolution
• Central Conference of American Rabbis (2001) Resolution on Syringe Exchange Programs

The Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative (IDPI), "... is formed is to organize people of faith to promote drug policy reform; i.e., moving from prohibition laws toward reasonable and compassionate drug regulation, education and treatment." For a handout of this information from IDPI click here.

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

World AIDS Day 2009: The War on Drugs is NOT WORKING

(December 1, 2009, London) - Governments worldwide should take urgent action to reform punitive drug laws, disproportionate penalties, and harsh and discriminatory law enforcement practices as part of their efforts to address HIV among people who use drugs, Human Rights Watch and the International Harm Reduction Association said today, World AIDS Day. Current policies also cause needless suffering among people living with HIV/AIDS, the two groups said in a joint briefing note released today.

International health and drug control agencies - including the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, UNAIDS, UNICEF, the United Nations Development Program, and the World Health Organization - all endorse comprehensive harm reduction services as the best ways to address HIV among people who use drugs, including those in detention. These services include needle and syringe exchange, medication-assisted therapy (for example, with methadone), and peer outreach and education programs. Notwithstanding broad endorsement and overwhelming scientific evidence that these approaches work, they are out of reach for the vast majority of people who need them.

• For the complete story posted on the Human Rights Watch website click here.

*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

A Healthy Relationship with Law Enforcement: The Missing Link

The importance of furthering our discussion about the relationship with law enforcement is one that cannot be overstated. Up to this point in the syringe access struggle in Stanislaus County, communication between the opposing sides of the issue has been somewhat lacking. While it is still early in the process of unifying our many allies and resources at Off the Streets, it is a pressing short-term goal to begin genuine discussion between the community, experts, and law enforcement officials. We think it is one of the most critical components of work around syringe exchange advocacy - attempting to understand and reach across to everyone at the community's table. While syringe exchange activities have ceased and disease is still spreading, it is more important than ever to make progress toward authorization.

• For starters, read this article on the Huffington Post: "Syringe Exchange and Police: An Alliance in Waiting," by Allan Clear.
• More about the law enforcement component of the syringe exchange issue will come in future posts.

Drug Use Doesn't Know County Lines: From Modesto to Alameda County

The lack of authorization in Stanislaus County doesn't just affect Stanislaus County. I found the link below in my research and followed up by having the information confirmed with a couple of reliable sources in Alameda County. We were also provided with some very valuable support data that reflects exactly how much strain Modestans place on Alameda County services. Sure serves as a reminder that we don't live in a bubble ... gee, imagine that. From the Alameda County Board of Supervisors' Health Committee meeting , February 23, 2004:

• When asked by Supervisor Carson how many people the HEPAC program in Alameda serves weekly, Executive Director Joy Rucker answered: "Approximately 5000 people use a wide variety of services, including HIV and Hepatitis C testing, abscess wound care and acupuncture. A large number of clients are served from Modesto, CA for needle exchange because there are no exchange services in (Stanislaus) County."
• For the complete report, see the Alameda County BOS Health Committee Summary Action Minutes .

How Do We Convince People It Doesn't Glamorize Drug Use?

We are one of but a few places with such a major need for syringe exchange that actually is led by people who believe exchanging needles glamorizes, supports, and increases drug use. It just doesn't make sense to me. On any level. SEPs are also still unauthorized in Colorado. Some of the same reasons are given there as are given here. People are just as confused there are they are here. And the picture of drug use is not that different in Colorado.

• Check out this article in the Denver Westword News - "Why doesn't Colorado get the point of needle exchange programs?". It talks about underground exchange and shares some personal stories - I enjoyed it.
• This article in Go-Go Magazine, "Surviving Heroin", is from 2000, but I found it to be a spectacular read, even if it is a little bit long. Although this was written almost 10 years ago, stuff ain't changin'. And the thing is, both these articles I linked you to from outta Colorado could really be Anywhere, USA. Lord knows it all applies to Stanislaus County, USA.

Syringe Exchange Struggles in Northern California: Good Read

This is an eye opening write up from Human Rights Watch a few years ago about some syringe exchange challenges in other communities. Some of our friends from Lake, Sacramento, and Alameda are featured here. Amazing people.