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Extraído del Informe Consolidado
Esta investigación fue publicada originalmente como parte de un informe consolidado más amplio que contiene múltiples investigaciones. Consulte el PDF consolidado para ver el documento completo.
Fresno County Grand Jury
• 2004-2005
Needle and Syringe Exchange and Purchase Programs
⚠️ Aviso de traducción: Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings 39 findings
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Indicating 173 users per 10,000 Fresno residents compared to a 96 city median of 60 users per 10,0000 residents
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Implying Fresno County has approximately 14,700 users at risk for HIV/ AIDS and/or Hepatitis C if dirty needles and syringes are shared (based on an extrapolation from a U.S. Census 2003 population estimate). B. Nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 15% of HIV/AIDS cases and an estimated 60% of Hepatitis C cases are associated with intravenous drug use. C. In California each year, according to the California Department of Health and CDC estimates, the sharing of dirty needles and syringes is associated with:
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Over 1,000 people infected with HIV
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Over 3,000 new Hepatitis C infections reported. D. In Fresno County, according to the Department of Community Health:
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25% of AIDS cases from February 1983, to March 31, 2005, involved intravenous drug users (IDUs)
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In preliminary data from a current ongoing study of IDUs, 90% tested positive for Hepatitis C. E. The numbers cited in B, C and D above do not reflect the hundreds of additional transmitted infections from drug injectors to others. F. Reputable published investigations concur that clean needle and syringe exchange programs:
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Reduce incidence and transmission of HIV/AIDS among IDUs, their sexual partners, and their children
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Reduce incidence of Hepatitis C among IDUs
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Encourage drug users to enter detoxification and drug treatment programs
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Do not increase rates of drug use, drug injection, or crime.
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Reduce the number of circulating and discarded contaminated needles and syringes in a community. G. Costs to the County compared to the estimated $1 cost per distributed syringe are:
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$200,000 to treat one HIV/AIDS infected person for a lifetime
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$15,000 - $20,000 annual expense for treatment of one patient with Hepatitis C; and an additional $300,000 for a liver transplant. H. The Fresno County Alcohol and Advisory Board, in a resolution supporting AB2871 dated Sept 1, 2004, acknowledged the importance of a clean needle and syringe exchange program. I. The following state, local and national organizations advocate the use of needle and syringe programs:
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UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program
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Fresno-Madera Medical Society
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California Medical Association
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California Nurses Association
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School of Public Health of the University of California 28
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American Medical Association
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. J. A volunteer “underground tolerated” needle exchange program has been functioning in Fresno County for ten years:
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Reaches approximately 500-600 intravenous drug users each week
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Receives 4,000-5,000 dirty needles and syringes for disposal in biohazard containers each week
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Has limited funds and cannot advertise
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Only meets at one site a week for one hour. K. California State laws allow localities to legalize needle exchanges and purchases:
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AB136 (effective Jan. 1, 2000) protects local entities, their agents, and employees from criminal prosecution for distributing syringes as part of a needle exchange program authorized pursuant to the declaration of a local emergency due to existence of a critical public health crises which, once adopted, can be regularly renewed on the Board of Supervisors “consent calendar”
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SB1159 (effective Jan. 1, 2005) allows cities and counties to authorize pharmacies within their borders to sell ten or fewer hypodermic needles or syringes at any one time to a person 18 years of age or older, as long as the pharmacist agrees to certain conditions, including providing information on drug treatment and disease control, participating in a program to insure safe disposal of used syringes, and registering with the approval of local governments. L. Charitable foundations and a State agency have funded legal needle exchange programs:
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The Comer Foundation
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Syringe Access Fund supported by Levi Strauss Foundation and Tides Foundation
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California State Office of AIDS. Conclusions A. Fresno County has a large number of intravenous drug users who are at risk for acquiring HIV and, especially, Hepatitis C infections. B. Needle and syringe exchange and purchase programs are an important public health measure and a cost effective way to reduce the spread of HIV/ AIDS and Hepatitis C. C. Needle and syringe exchange programs do not encourage the use of illegal drugs and do not enhance criminal activity. D. California State laws AB136 and SB1159 permit localities to legalize needle exchange and purchase programs. E. A legal needle and syringe exchange program in Fresno County will:
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Be eligible to receive funding from charitable foundations
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Be able to establish several needle and syringe exchange sites with reasonable hours of operation
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Reach more intravenous drug users
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Reduce haphazard elimination of contaminated needles
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Reduce incidence of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C in Fresno County.
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Be eligible to receive funding from charitable foundations
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Be able to establish several needle and syringe exchange sites with reasonable hours of operation
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Reach more intravenous drug users
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Reduce haphazard elimination of contaminated needles
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Reduce incidence of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C in Fresno County.
Recommendations 2
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R20Page 43Establish needle and syringe exchange and purchase programs in accordance with State laws AB136 and SB1159.
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R21Page 43Establish a relationship with one or more charitable organizations that fund legal needle and syringe exchange programs. CITY COMMITTEE INTRODUCTION The City Committee reviewed the traffic flow/congestion within the city of Fresno. Motorists experience repeated delays in traffic flow and congestion throughout the city. Traveling on east-west or north-south streets, one experiences traffic signals that fail to be synchronized resulting in inefficient, wasteful and frustrating driving conditions that need fixing. This stood out as the most urgent issue needing our attention. The committee interviewed city officials, city department heads and obtained information from the media to obtain its findings and make recommendations. The City Committee further investigated these possible areas of fact finding: • No Neighborhood Left Behind. • Calwa/Malaga Water District. • City Beautification Issues • Review Little Hoover Commission Report on the City of Fresno. • Traffic Flow, Congestion and Air Quality on City Streets • After School programs offered by the City in conjunction with FUSD. • Fresno County workforce After conferring with other committees, a decision was made to combine the efforts of the County, City and Education Committees in a joint report to address a most pressing issue of double digit unemployment in Fresno County with the Workforce Report. The City Committee proceeded with its investigation culminating in these reports: • Traffic Flow/Congestion • Fresno County Workforce 31