Needle distribution programs

Using and sharing injection materials (including spoons) can cause serious injury and death.

Using and sharing injection equipment is an extremely high-risk activity and is never truly safe to do in a nonmedical context. This guide is provided for educational and harm reduction purposes, and we strongly discourage irresponsible users from engaging in this activity.

A needle distribution program is a social service that allows injecting drug users (IDUs) to obtain hypodermic needles and associated paraphernalia at little or no cost. It is based on the philosophy of harm reduction that attempts to reduce the risk factors for blood-borne diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

List of programs (by location)

San Diego, California

Family Health Centers of San Diego operates the Syringe Services Program which operates as a mobile unit open three days per week 6:00 pm-9:00 pm, Tuesday and Thursday at the corner of 16th and Imperial Ave; and 10:00 am-1:00 pm, Friday at 31st St and North Park Way, San Diego, CA 92104.

See also

• Safer injection guide
• Sharing injection materials
• Responsible use
• Routes of administration

External links

• North America Syringe Exchange Network

References

Javed, Z; Burk, K; Facente, S; Pegram, L; Ali, A; Asher, A (2020), Syringe Services Programs: A Technical Package of Effective Strategies and Approaches for Planning, Design, and Implementation (pdf), Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CDC 105304