Opinion: Needle Exchanges Should Not Be Political Issue

In a Capitol Weekly opinion piece, Assembly member Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) argues that Gov. Jerry Brown (D) should sign a bill (AB 604) she introduced that would allow for the creation of needle-exchange programs in communities where "conditions exist for the rapid spread of HIV, viral hepatitis or other infections spread through the use of shared syringes." Skinner writes, "Well-regulated [syringe exchange programs] are supported by every major health organization as a proven way to reduce infections," She adds, "Syringe exchanges shouldn't be about politics. They are about the science of public health. ... AB 604 represents a real, science-based reform that takes politics out of the equation."

• "Opinion: California Needs a Logical, Uniform Needle-Exchange Program" (Skinner, Capitol Weekly, 9/28).