Safe Syringe Tennessee

Injection drug use remains

the most common risk
factor for acquiring HCV in
the United States.
The Problem
Over prescribing opioids causing addiction
Heroin is cheaper and easier to obtain
Needles are illegally obtained
Injection drug users share dirty needles
Some needles are reused up to 300 times

The Solution
Adopt syringe exchange programs
Allow public needle purchases in pharmacies
Educate the community
Addition to the Tennessee Code under Professions of
the Healing Arts (63-10-206) to now "allow pharmacies
to sell hypodermic syringes to any adult over the age of
18 for personal use, and require safe disposal of
syringes."
 Common Misconceptions
Syringe Exchange Programs
1. SEPs encourage drug abuse. Data from the CDC actually
show that SEP participants are 5 times more likely to enter drug
treatment programs than non-participants

2. SEPs do not eliminate infectious disease. Actually, since

legalizing SEPs in 1992, NY has seen a 49% reduction of
contraction of HIV in intravenous drug users.

3. SEPs increase crime. Based on research over the last 20

years, SEPs do not seem to increase crime, but actually highly
increase officer and public safety.

4. SEPs waste public resources. The cost of a sterile syringe is

less than $1, while the estimated lifetime cost of treating HIV
ranges from $385,000-619,000. It is far cheaper to provide sterile
syringes to prevent the infectious diseases than to treat them.
Sven Rundman IV, Virginia Daniels, Jessica Houghton & Lindsey Richesin
safesyringe.tn@gmail.com
www.safesyringetennessee.weebly.com
Notes
Aids.gov. Retrieved from Statesttps://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/statistics/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015).
Ksobiech, K. (2003). A meta-analysis of needle sharing, lending, and borrowing behaviors of
needle exchange program attenders. The Guilford Press 15(3), 257-268.
Medscape (2017).Retrieved from
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/aids/Pages/NPSSMainLandingPage.aspx
State of California (2016). Nonprescription sale of syringes. California Department of Public
Health. Retrieved from
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/aids/Pages/NPSSMainLandingPage.aspx
http://cdn.trustedpartner.com/docs/library/UWBCCommissionSubstanceAbuse2011/SEP%20Myt
h%20vs%20Fact.pdf