National Sign-On Letter Supporting Syringe Exchange Programs
U.S. House of Representatives
2227 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-3216
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Dear Mr. Serrano:
We, the undersigned organizations, are writing to express our sincere thanks and support for your efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS and hepatitis epidemic through introduction of the Community AIDS and Hepatitis Prevention Act of 2008. Providing sterile syringes is a simple, cost-effective method of saving lives.
Intravenous drug use remains a major contributor to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic. In 2006, 20% of the reported AIDS cases were attributed directly or indirectly to injection drug use. Since the beginning of the epidemic, almost 400,000 people have become infected with HIV through contaminated injection drug equipment.
By allowing federal dollars to fund Syringe Exchange Programs, the Community AIDS and Hepatitis Prevention Act of 2008 will save thousands of lives. Communities will be enabled to determine which scientifically proven prevention methods are best suited to serve their own epidemic without unwarranted restrictions by the federal government. Syringe Exchange Programs already exist in 36 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, where they serve as a proven method of preventing the transmission of HIV and hepatitis C without increasing the use of injection drugs in the communities they serve. A 2005 international review and eight additional Federally funded research reports concluded that syringe exchange programs, as a part of a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy, are an effective public health intervention that reduces HIV transmission without increasing the use of illicit drugs. Moreover, these programs serve as a bridge to treatment for drug addiction.
The Community AIDS and Hepatitis Prevention Act of 2008 is a truly non-partisan issue and we encourage all Members of Congress to sign on as a co-sponsor. Again, we thank you for your continued efforts to fight HIV/AIDS and hepatitis and join you in urging the swift passage of this life-saving legislation.
Sincerely,
ACORN: A Community Resource
Network
ACT UP Philadelphia
AIDS Action Baltimore,
Inc.
AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts
AIDS Action Council
AIDS Alabama
AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families
AIDS Foundation of Chicago
AIDS Project Los Angeles
AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin
AIDS Support Network and SLO Hepatitis C Project
AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland
AIDS Treatment Data Network
ALERT Health
American Academy of HIV Medicine
American Civil Liberties Union
American Psychological Association
amfAR The Foundation for AIDS Research
Arizona Hepatitis C Coalition
Asian American Drug Abuse Program, Inc.
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
Blue Mountain Heart to Heart
California Hepatitis Alliance
Caring Ambassadors Program, Inc.
Cascade AIDS Project
Center Link
Chicago Recovery Alliance
ColorofChange.org
Common Ground
Community Education Group
Community Health Action of Staten Island
Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project
Community HIV/Hepatitis Advocates of Iowa Network
Community Impact, Inc.
Drug Policy Alliance
Education for Health Choices
Entre Hermanos
Families & Youth, Inc.
Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus
Foundation for Research on Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Inc.
Gay Men’s Health Crisis
Georgia AIDS Coalition
Global Conference on Methamphetamine
Harlem United Community AIDS Center, Inc
Harm Reduction Coalition
Harm Reduction Center of Southern Oregon
Harm Reduction Institute
Harm Reduction Services
Health Global Access Project
Hep C Connection
HepCmeditations Project
Hep Help Alliance of New Jersey, Inc
Hepatitis C Association
Hepatitis Education Project
Hispanic Federation
Homeless Health Care Los Angeles
Housing Works
Howard Brown Health Center
Human Rights Campaign
Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative
International AIDS Empowerment
Internet Interventions Incorporated
JRI Health
Justice Policy Institute
Legacy Community Health Services
Legal Action Center
Lifelong AIDS Alliance
Liver Health Today
LiverHope
Los Angeles Sheriff's Department
Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center
Maryland Hepatitis C Action
Maryland Viral Hepatitis Task Force
Mendocino County AIDS Network
Minnesota AIDS Project
Missouri Hepatitis C Alliance
Monmouth & Ocean County Hepatitis C Coalition, Inc.
Nashville CARES
National AIDS Fund
National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors
NAACP: Ft. Lauderdale Branch
National Association of County and City Health Officials
National Association of People Living with AIDS
National Black Police Association
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Council of Jewish Women
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund
National Minority AIDS Council
National Stonewall Democrats
National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable
Needle Exchange Emergency Distribution
New Mexico Hepatitis C Alliance
New York AIDS Coalition
New York Harm Reduction Educators, Inc.
North American Syringe Exchange Network
NYC AIDS Housing Network
Office of AIDS Administration
Ohio Inner City Support for Hepatitis C
Okaloosa AIDS Support and Informational Services, Inc.
Open Society Policy Center
Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation
Physicians for Human Rights
Pierce County AIDS Foundation
Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas, Inc.
Positive Health Project, Inc.
Prairie Psychological Services
PreventionWorks!
Professional Nursing Alliance
Project Inform
Projecto Sol Filadelphia
Reality House, Inc.
Safer Alternatives thru Networking & Education
San Francisco AIDS Foundation
SISTAHS Today, Inc.
St. Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction
Status C Unknown
Students for Sensible Drug Policy
Tarzana Treatment Center
The AIDS Institute
The Center for HIV Law and Policy
The Drop-in Center
The Episcopal Church
Title II Community AIDS National Network
Trans Equality LA
Transgender Equality Rights Initiatives
Treatment Action Group
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
Upstate New York Hepatitis C Awareness Project
Urban Coalition of HIV/AIDS Prevention
Vermont Harm Reduction Coalition
VOCAL-NY Users Union
Women at Risk
Women's HIV Collaborative
