BILL TO HELP PREVENT SPREAD OF AIDS AWAITS DAVIS' OK

Since California was home to the first reported AIDS cases in 1981, you'd
expect our state would lead our nation in efforts to prevent the spread of
HIV/AIDS. Instead, regarding the risk associated with injection drug use,
which accounts for one-fifth of our state's AIDS cases, California lags far
behind 44 other states. We are one of only six states to still require a
prescription to purchase a sterile syringe at a pharmacy.

This policy, written before the advent of AIDS, leads to many deaths and
does nothing to prevent the use of drugs in our state. It's well past time
we repeal this prohibition on syringe sales.

The re-use of blood-contaminated syringes also drives the epidemic of
hepatitis C, an even more rampant (if less well-known) threat to our state.
According to State Department of Health reports, the sharing of syringes
causes more than 1500 new HIV infections each year, and more than 3000 new
infections with hepatitis C. Both are deadly infection that have no known cure.

To stem the tide of infections, the U.S. Center for Disease Control &
Prevention recommends that syringes be sold without prescription at
pharmacies, so that persons who continue to inject drugs are not issued a
death sentence.

It's an ugly reality we must face -- some people will not stop shooting
drugs. Injection drug users often become infected with HIV or hepatitis
when they share syringes. They then risk spreading these diseases to their
sexual partners and newborn children.

In a bipartisan vote the California Legislature recently passed my SB 1785,
the Syringe Pharmacy Sale & Disease Prevention Act. SB 1785 would allow
pharmacists to sell up to 30 needles to an adult without a prescription.
The bill requires participating pharmacists to provide information about
disease prevention and drug treatment to consumers (including a number to
call where they can get help) and it mandates pharmacists to participate in
syringe disposal programs.

Some fear this sends the wrong message about drugs, somehow endorsing their
use. The research is to the contrary.

Numerous studies demonstrate that expanding access to sterile syringes
reduces disease transmissions without increasing drug use, drug injection
or crime. This legislation is not about enabling or encouraging drug use --
the bottom line is that it's about preserving the lives of Californians.

The financial bottom line is also compelling. California taxpayers pay $800
million each year to treat AIDS, approximately $160 million of which is
presumed attributable to syringe sharing. The cost to treat hepatitis C is
estimated to exceed $50 million annually. The cost to our taxpayers of
allowing adults to use their own money to purchase sterile syringes is
absolutely nothing. In fact, by reducing sharing dirty needles and the
resultant infections with AIDS or hepatitis C, SB 1785 will save our
taxpayers many dollars.

It's rare in political life that we get the opportunity to support
legislation that will save thousands of lives and millions of dollars, all
without any commitment of public funds. This opportunity we now offer to
Gov. Gray Davis. The legislation awaits his signature.

I hope the governor listens to the experts rather than to drug war ideologues.