Supervisors, go with grand jury on needle swap

last updated: September 16, 2008 08:14:42 AM

Stanislaus County supervisors are amply paid to make tough decisions. Tonight they face one: A recommendation from last year's civil grand jury that a syringe exchange program be started to reduce the spread of hepatitis C, a chronic and incurable disease that damages the liver.

The Health Services Agency and three advisory committees support the proposal; county law enforcement executives oppose it.

As we said earlier in the summer, the 2007-08 grand jury stepped beyond its traditional role by addressing this vital public health issue that affects more than 4,500 county residents and is increasing at the rate of about 500 cases per year. Many of those with hepatitis C are intravenous drug users, and shared needles contribute to the spread of the disease.

Tonight, the supervisors are scheduled to hear the staff response to the jury report. Often such responses are predictable. But on this issue there is disagreement, to the point where a committee of top executives was unable to reach a consensus.

The Health Services Agency supports the grand jury report, agreeing with 19 of its 26 findings and partially agreeing with some others. It agrees with the recommendation that a needle exchange program could be an effective means to prevent the spread of a communicable disease, the chief responsibility of any public health agency.

Police chiefs, the sheriff and the district attorney oppose a syringe exchange, citing concerns about officer safety and that the program could increase the potential for more "dirty" needles in the community.

But the strategy supported by public health officials would call for a one-for-one exchange, meaning no net increase in syringes and assuring the proper disposal of needles. Furthermore, the exchange would provide an opportunity "to counsel for drug prevention or at a minimum to educate regarding disease," the staff report states.

The health agency staff does not recommend that the county operate or fund the exchange program. It suggests that it should be operated by a not-for-profit community organization, abiding by standards set by the public health department.

Under this proposal, the county would not have to pay for the program and would stand to save a significant amount of money. That's because many of the people with hepatitis C are medically indigent adults whose health care costs are borne by the county. During 2007-08 those costs added up to $750,000.

The grand jury and the Health Service Agency present persuasive arguments. Supervisors should ask the agency leaders to proceed with identifying an organization that can obtain the money and has the wherewithal to operate a one-for-one needle exchange.

The Board of Supervisors meets at 6:30 p.m. today in the

basement of Tenth Street Place. Meetings are televised live on Comcast Channel 7 and Charter Channel 19, and video is on the Web site, www.stancounty.com.

• Comments
• Add Comment
• Disclaimer