"SLO Bangers" - Please help us keep local syringe exchange services viable.

[pinto]

The San Luis Obispo Syringe Exchange Program is a community based, volunteer driven program.

Our mission is simple and straight forward - provide safe, legal exchange services; reduce the incidence of blood borne infections; support a harm reduction approach to substance use / abuse; serve as a bridge to other health and support services in the community.

In the last year we have recovered ~ 40,000 used syringes for safe disposal and provided ~ 35,000 sterile syringes in exchange.

We're an extremely lean operation. Our annual costs run about $35/ per client/ per year.

Given the cost - personally, socially and financially - of one HIV or HCV infection, we feel this prevention program is a great investment. Would you help us out?

Any and all donations are appreciated. All will go to purchase basic supplies for the exchange. All donations are tax deductible.

Safe, secure donation links are below. Tell 'em DU sent you. :thumbsup:

Thanks all ~ pinto

http://www.slosep.net/About_Us.html

http://www.asn.org/donate.php

[Tindalos]

1. Kick

:hi:

[Grateful for Hope]

2. K&R

[Chemisse]

3. K & R

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. Kick.

:kick:

[mopinko]

5. oops

forgot to tell them du sent me. you tell 'em, k?

[NYC_SKP]

6. Wow! $35/year is a remarkably efficient operation. I'm in, and K/R.

Fantastic program!

:hi:

[pinto]

11. It's amazing, in some ways how it all fell into place. The weekly exchange staff

are all volunteers, Public Health provides us the space for the operation and handles used syringe disposal for us at no cost, and the County provides us with a grant to maintain a basic level of service. It's a great collaboration all the way around. Ironically, success is the trigger for this request for donations. We've grown 300% in exchanges since our start up.

We simply have to buy more syringes and ancillary supplies. Which we buy in bulk. Everything else is in place and ongoing. That won't change. Our product is prevention... :hi:

[dembotoz]

7. when my wife died a few years ago we donated a bunch of unopened

medical supplies to an organization. The stuff was shipped to africa so some such.
I hope such donations are a source for this organization.

[pinto]

8. Yeah, we work closely with Public Health (they actually provide after hours space for the exchange

and dispose used syringes for us as an in-kind donation). Occasionally we get unopened / unused syringes when a patient passes, either from the nurses or the family. Sorry about your wife...

[cally]

9. kick

[pinto]

10. Kick for the weekday crews.

Thanks all. :hi:

[readmoreoften]

12. Can you believe needle exchange is ILLEGAL in my messed up state.

Believe it.

Good work y'all are doing.

[pinto]

13. Thanks. Suggest you forward these links to local movers and shakers - Harm Reduction Coalition.

http://www.harmreduction.org/

Syringe Access:

One third of people with HIV in the United States were infected through injection drug use.

Every year, another 8,000 people are newly infected with HIV through sharing contaminated syringes.

Every year, another 15,000 are newly infected with hepatitis C through sharing syringes and contaminated injection equipment.

African Americans account for over 50% of all AIDS cases attributed to injection drug use, while Latinos account for nearly 25%.

Among women, an estimated 61 percent of AIDS cases are due to injection drug use or the result of sexual contact with someone who contracted HIV through injection drug use.

Younger injection drug users generally become infected with hepatitis C within two years.

These infections are preventable.

Syringe exchange programs provide tools, resources, and education to enable people who inject drugs to protect themselves and their communities through safer injection practices and harm reduction methods.

Nearly 200 syringe exchange programs currently operate in 38 states, Puerto Rico, Washington DC, and Indian Lands. Both state and local jurisdictions authorize and regulate sterile syringe access programs.

There are no federal regulations governing sterile syringe access. (This is outdated. Access has been expanded under federal regulations. ~ pinto)

Local Resources:

http://www.harmreduction.org/article.php?id=530

:hi: