Hope the county’s watching

This January, the Sacramento City Council took an optimistic step forward in the fight against HIV and hepatitis C by approving a citywide needle-exchange program. Injection-drug users soon will be able to trade dirty needles for clean ones.

According to Nikos Leverenz, director of the capital office of the California Drug Policy Alliance, Sacramento has more injection-drug users per capita than large cities like Los Angeles, Oakland and San Diego. “As we enter the 26th year of the [HIV/AIDS] epidemic,” he said, “we should endeavor to do all that we can to curb its spread.”

Using one clean needle per injection also fights hepatitis C. Dr. Glennah Trochet, the Sacramento County Health Officer, said that needle sharing and sex are two of the main ways hepatitis C spreads. The Center for Disease Control estimates that intravenous drug use accounts for 60 percent of all new cases of hepatitis C.

Council members quibbled briefly over whether the program could lead to dangerous needles left exposed in parks and along the river, and they considered a limited one-for-one exchange, but ultimately were convinced to accept the broadly written ordinance without new restrictions.

Right before the council voted unanimously to pass the new ordinance, Councilman Kevin McCarty said he hoped that Sacramento County was paying attention.

By phone, Trochet said that the county Board of Supervisors has shown no interest in considering a similar proposal. The board even voted against legalizing pharmacy syringe sales in 2005.