99
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.R. NO.              
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                     HOUSE  RESOLUTION
CONVENING A TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE IMPLICATIONS OF INCREASED
   ACCESS TO STERILE SYRINGES.



 1       WHEREAS, nationally, approximately one-third of all AIDS
 2   cases, sixty percent of all new hepatitis C cases, and a
 3   significant portion of hepatitis B cases are linked, directly
 4   or indirectly, to illicit injection drug use; and
 5   
 6       WHEREAS, unavailability of sterile syringes leads to the
 7   sharing of injection equipment, resulting in the transmission
 8   of these blood-borne infections among injection drug users, the
 9   people with whom they have intimate relations with, and their
10   babies; and
11   
12       WHEREAS, the United States Public Health Service recommends
13   that illicit drug users not inject, or, if unable to abstain,
14   use a new, sterile syringe obtained from a reliable source,
15   such as a pharmacy, for each injection; and
16   
17       WHEREAS, the American Medical Association, the American
18   Pharmaceutical Association, the Association of State and
19   Territorial Health Officials, and the National Alliance of
20   State and Territorial AIDS Directors have adopted resolutions
21   urging the removal or modification of legal barriers to the
22   availability of sterile syringes through pharmacies, for the
23   purpose of preventing transmission of deadly diseases; now,
24   therefore,
25   
26       BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
27   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
28   of 2000, that the Director of Health is requested to convene a
29   task force to study the implications of increased access to
30   sterile syringes; and
31   
32       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force examine:
33   
34       (1)  The health risks to the public of a lack of access to
35            sterile syringes;
36   
37       (2)  The availability and accessibility of sterile syringes
38            and the safe disposal of used syringes in Hawaii; and

 
Page 2                                                     99
                                  H.R. NO.              
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1       (3)  The feasibility of implementing national
 2            recommendations to reduce transmission of HIV and
 3            hepatitis through increased access to sterile syringes
 4            through pharmacy sales;
 5   
 6       and
 7   
 8       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that members of the task force
 9   include:
10   
11       (1)  The Director of Human Services or the Director's
12            designee;
13   
14       (2)  The Attorney General or the Attorney General's
15            designee;
16   
17       (3)  The Director of Public Safety or the Director's
18            designee;
19   
20       (4)  A representative from the State of Hawaii Board of
21            Pharmacy;
22   
23       (5)  A representative from the Hawaii Medical Association;
24   
25       (6)  A representative from the Hawaii Pharmacist
26            Association;
27   
28       (7)  A representative from the Hawaii Law Enforcement
29            Coalition;
30   
31       (8)  A representative from the Governor's Committee on
32            HIV/AIDS; and
33   
34       (9)  A representative from the Hawaii AIDS Community Care
35            Team;
36   
37       and
38   
39       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to
40   submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the
41   Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of
42   the Regular Session of 2001; and

 
 
 
 
 
Page 3                                                     99
                                  H.R. NO.              
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this Resolution be
 2   transmitted to the Directors of Health, Human Services, and
 3   Public Safety; the Attorney General; the Executive Directors of
 4   the Hawaii Medical Association, the Hawaii Pharmacist
 5   Association, and the Hawaii AIDS Community Care Team; and the
 6   Chairs of the State of Hawaii Board of Pharmacy, the Hawaii Law
 7   Enforcement Coalition, and the Governor's Committee on
 8   HIV/AIDS.
 9 
10 
11 
12                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________