Serrano, Waxman, Lee Urge President to Help End Syringe Exchange Funding Ban
For Immediate Release
February 6, 2009
CONTACT: Philip Schmidt, (Serrano) (202) 225-4361
Karen Lightfoot, (Waxman) (202) 225-5735
Nicole Williams, (Lee) (202) 225-2661
Washington, DC –Today Representatives José E. Serrano, (D-NY); Henry Waxman, (D-CA); and Barbara Lee, (D-CA) sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to join them in working to lift the ban on use of federal funds for syringe exchange programs.
The three Members pointed out that as the nation observes National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Saturday, it is more important than ever to lift this federal ban, which needlessly hinders efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS in this and other at-risk groups.
The text of the letter follows.
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February 6, 2009
The Honorable Barack H. Obama
President
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
Dear President Obama:
Tomorrow we observe National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which serves as a reminder of the need for practical and effective federal policies to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in our communities. As your administration prepares to address the challenges facing our nation, we urge you to give due consideration to syringe exchange programs as a viable means to reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS and to work with us in removing restrictions on the use of federal funds for these types of programs.
HIV and other infectious diseases can be transmitted through the sharing of needles and syringes. At least one quarter of all reported AIDS cases in our country are attributed to injection drug use. However, minority populations are particularly susceptible to HIV/AIDS infections resulting from this practice. African-Americans account for more than half the AIDS cases directly related to injection drug use and Hispanics account for a further 25 percent.
For the past twenty years, syringe exchange programs have operated throughout the United States. These programs have repeatedly proven that they reduce the transmission of HIV and other infectious diseases among at risk groups without increasing or encouraging the use of illicit drugs. This has been consistently supported by scientific research, including eight federally-funded reports and a 2005 international review.
These reports also conclude that syringe exchange programs are cost-effective. Research estimates that while it costs syringe exchange programs between $4,000 to $12,000 to prevent an HIV infection among injecting drug users, their partners, and family members it costs approximately $619,000 to treat an individual living with HIV/AIDS during his lifetime. As a result, syringe exchange programs could result in significant cost savings per averted infection.
Today, there are nearly 200 syringe exchange programs operating in 38 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In addition to preventing infections, these programs have helped many of those who suffer from debilitating addictions to receive the help that they desperately need through counseling and referral services.
However, as states face budget cutbacks due to our nation’s current economic downturn, it is now more important than ever that we work together to lift the ban on the use of federal funds for syringe exchange programs. We must provide states the resources they need to continue fighting the transmission of HIV/AIDS in ways that are proven to work. With approximately 12,000 Americans contracting HIV/AIDS directly or indirectly each year from the sharing of contaminated syringes, it becomes vital that the federal government take steps to reduce the number of contaminated syringes on our streets.
We are pleased that the lifting of the federal ban is part of your Civil Rights Agenda, and encourage you to work with us to remove the ban when you submit your Fiscal Year 2010 budget to Congress in the coming weeks. We must act now. Syringe exchange programs work. The federal ban does nothing to address the problem, and limits syringe exchange coverage to only a fraction of the people in need of these prevention services.
We look forward to working with you and your administration in combating the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Sincerely,
José E. Serrano Henry Waxman Barbara Lee
Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress
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