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H. C. R. No. 30 As Introduced
As Introduced
| 128th General Assembly | | Regular Session | | 2009-2010 |
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A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
| To urge the Congress of the United States to end the
longstanding ban on federal funding for syringe
exchange programs.
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF OHIO
(THE SENATE CONCURRING):
| WHEREAS, The Harm Reduction Coalition, a national advocacy
organization that promotes the health and dignity of individuals
and communities impacted by drug use, reports that 8,000 people
are newly infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and
another 15,000 are newly infected with hepatitis C through sharing
syringes and contaminated medical equipment every year; and |
| WHEREAS, One of the most important strategies in reducing the
transmission of HIV and other blood-borne infections, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is ensuring
that injection drug users who cannot or will not stop injecting
drugs have access to sterile syringes; and |
| WHEREAS, Syringe exchange programs (SEPs) are community-based
initiatives that permit injection drug users to exchange used
syringes for clean, sterile ones, with the purpose of reducing the
transmission of blood-borne pathogens and promoting the safe
disposal of used syringes as infectious waste; and |
| WHEREAS, Government officials and agencies have acknowledged
the effectiveness of SEPs for some time. Former Secretary of the
United States Department of Health and Human Services Donna
Shalala reported to Congress in February 1997 that a review of
scientific evidence showed that SEPs can be an effective component
of a comprehensive strategy to prevent HIV and other blood-borne
diseases in communities that choose to include them. The CDC in
2005 acknowledged that SEPs have been shown to be an effective way
to link some hard-to-reach injection drug users with important
public health services, including substance abuse and mental
health treatment and treatment for tuberculosis and sexually
transmitted diseases; and |
| WHEREAS, SEPs are highly cost-effective: the lifetime cost of
medical care for each new HIV infection is $385,200, while the
equivalent amount of money spent on SEPs would prevent at least
thirty new HIV infections, according to the Harm Reduction
Coalition; and |
| WHEREAS, SEPs have been endorsed by several scientific and
medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family
Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American
Medical Association, the American Academy of Physician Assistants,
the American College of Preventive Medicine, the American Nurses
Association, and the American Psychological Association; and |
| WHEREAS, Despite the success of SEPs in preventing new HIV
and other blood-borne infections, their cost-effectiveness, and
their endorsement by health care providers, Congress has banned
the use of federal funds for SEPs since 1988, forcing many SEPs to
survive on dwindling private donations and state and local funds;
and |
| WHEREAS, An appropriations bill for the United States
Department of Health and Human Services and other agencies passed
by the United States House of Representatives in July 2009--H.R.
3293 of the 111th Congress (First Session)--moved to finally lift
the ban since the bill did not contain provisions barring SEPs
from receiving federal funds; now therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 128th General Assembly
of the State of Ohio, hereby urge all members of the Congress of
the United States to support an end to the longstanding ban on
federal funding for SEPs by enacting legislation to that effect,
either through H.R. 3293 or another appropriate legislative
effort; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the
President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, the Speaker of
the United States House of Representatives, the Secretary of the
United States Department of Health and Human Services, and the
members of the Ohio Congressional delegation. |
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