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A bill to prevent organizations from distributing syringes to users within 2,000 feet of Oregon schools could be discussed by lawmakers during the current short legislative session.
Senate Bill 1573 calls for an end to programs that distribute needles and syringes near schools and licensed childcare facilities.
Here is what SB 1573 would do on the ground.
| Provision | What the bill says |
|---|---|
| Buffer zone | Bars mobile or temporary SSP service locations within 2,000 feet of a school or licensed child care facility |
| Defines SSP | Defines SSP as providing free sterile needles and syringes plus safe disposal |
| Lawsuit option | Allows any person to sue an SSP for operating in a prohibited area, in the county where it operates |
| Damages and fees | If plaintiff wins: greater of $5,000 or actual cleanup damages, plus reasonable attorney fees |
| Presumption rule | Creates a rebuttable presumption that discarded items found within 2,000 feet came from an SSP operating in violation |
Kids Shouldn’t Have to Step Over Needles When They Walk to School
“Kids shouldn’t have to step over needles when they walk to school” is how Republican Christine Drazan, co-sponsor of the bill, describes the daily occurrence of many children.
In a Facebook interview, Drazan says the state must stop “enabling addiction”. She says while she agrees that the state must continue to help drug users, she believes that it is making it “too simple and too easy for users to become stuck in addiction.”
Calling for a safety net of 2,000 ft, Drazan cites Providence Park Stadium in Portland as an example of a drug paraphernalia drop-off point that is located a mere 1,000 ft. from Lincoln High School.
Syringe Exchange Service Programs Operate in 19 Oregon Counties
The state provides Syringe Exchange Service Programs (SSPs) to 19 counties via the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). According to the OHA, the service includes free sterile needles and syringes, safe disposal areas, and access to prevention services such as HIV and Hepatitis C testing.
OHA says the programs are designed to decrease the spread of infectious diseases with the repeated use of syringes by more than one individual, and drug overdoses that can end in death.
According to HIV.gov, blood-borne pathogens like HIV and hepatitis can spread through injection drug use if more than one person uses needles, syringes, and other injection materials.
This leads to serious health issues such as skin infections, abscesses, and endocarditis. More than 2,500 new cases of HIV infection occur every year among drug users.
SSPs Play an Integral Role in the Nation’s Plan to End the HIV Epidemic by 2030
HIV.gov states that SSPs are integral to the nation’s plan to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. by 2030. They are a key component in a strategy to combat the opioid crisis and the spread of infectious disease through contaminated syringes and needles.
Tidings Data Snapshot
SSP outcomes : key research takeawaysSource: CDC Strengthening Syringe Services Programs / HIV.gov Syringe Services ProgramsDailyTidings.com
SSPs contribute 50% to the reduction of infection by HIV and Hepatitis C viruses.
In Oregon, the Portland Syringe Exchange reports a high syringe return rate, as well as declines in syringe sharing.
There has been only one documented HIV *seroconversion across 162 person-years among participants tracked in an early evaluation.
*Seroconversion is when the immune systems begins producing antibodies in the blood in response to infections, such as HIV or hepatitis, shifting a rest result from negative to positive.
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