133
THE SENATE                           S.C.R. NO.            
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     SENATE CONCURRENT
                        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 Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
27   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2000, the House of
28   Representatives concurring, that the Director of Health is
29   requested to convene a task force to study the implications of
30   increased access to 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;

 
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                                  S.C.R. NO.            
                                                        
                                                        

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

 
 
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                                  S.C.R. NO.            
                                                        
                                                        

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