Dear [ Decision Maker ] , Annually, nearly 8,000 Americans contract HIV/AIDS and approximately 12,000 Americans contract the hepatitis C virus directly or indirectly from sharing contaminated syringes. Syringe exchange programs are proven to be cost-effective and lifesaving, do not promote drug use, and provide a conduit to primary health care for hard to reach populations. It is imperative we empower communities to fight their local HIV and hepatitis epidemics by providing them with a full range of tools to do so. As a constituent, I urge you to vote against the amendment proposed by Representative Mark Souder which prohibits HHS funding for programs which distribute sterile needles or syringes for hypodermic injection of illegal substances. Syringe exchange programs (SEPs) are one of our most effective means of preventing HIV and Hepatitis C infections. Numerous federally funded studies have confirmed the effectiveness of SEPs and have reaffirmed that they do not increase substance abuse. SEPs serve as a gateway to health care services for under served populations and as a means of connecting injection drug users with substance abuse treatment. Law enforcement officials have endorsed the inclusion of SEPs as part of a larger, comprehensive prevention program as a means of protecting the public and law enforcement officials. Syringe exchange programs are highly cost-effective. The cost of preventing one HIV or Hepatitis C infection through syringe exchange programs is approximately $4,000 to $12,000; which yields a savings of as much as $648,000 in medical costs per HIV infection and approximately $25,000 to $30,000 in annual medical costs per Hepatitis C infection prevented. Most importantly, local communities should have available to them every tool necessary to address their local HIV and Hepatitis C epidemics. The ban on federal funding of SEPs prevents State and local jurisdictions from using their federal funds for syringe exchange. Removal of the ban empowers communities to determine which scientifically proven prevention methods are best suited to serve their own epidemic without unwarranted restrictions by the federal government. Support the right of communities to utilize syringe exchange programs by voting against the amendment proposed by Representative Souder.
Sincerely,
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