Congratulations ACLU members! The final push is on!! SB 308, Senator Deuell’s needle exchange bill has successfully passed the Senate and is awaiting a hearing in the Public Health Committee. As a follow up to previous actions taken to support needle exchange, we now ask that you take a second to print out the letter below and fax or mail it to the members of the Public Health Committee (listed below the letter) and tell them how important this bill is to Texas. We need you to do this as soon as you possibly can. Our persistence and support was a major factor in the successful passage of needle exchange through the Senate, and we need to demonstrate just as much if not more support to the members of the House. If you can, please take a minute to follow up your fax with a phone call, asking the members of the Public Health Committee to listen to the testimony, carefully consider the facts and vote in favor of SB 308. Phone calls and faxes will demonstrate to our Representatives that the amount of support generated by SB 308 is significant and not to be disregarded. Your support is making a difference! If you would like to take an extra step, call or write your own Representative and ask that they co-sponsor HB 856/HB 1846- the House companions to SB 308. http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/
We want to thank each and every ACLU member in Texaswho has participated in this effort, and thank those of you who will be taken action now. Your voice is being heard and making a difference! We are proud of our members who are contributing to this success and urge you to keep up the good work!
Thank you again,
In Liberty,
Chris Bernard
Access Project
ACLU TX
512.415.7458
cbernard@aclutx.org
Dear Chairman Delisi and members of the Public Health Committee,
I am writing to urge you to carefully consider testimony related to syringe exchange programs and vote in favor of SB 308/HB 856-HB 1846, which has been referred to the Public Health Committee in the House of Representatives. SB 308 passed the Senate with strong bi-partisan support from Senators who understand that blood borne disease prevention efforts can provide a way to intervene with addiction cycles, reducing HIV, hepatitis C and injection drug use all at the same time. Texas stands alone as the last state in the nation to provide syringe access programs to high-risk populations, putting us at a disadvantage in the battle against addiction and disease. Texans who care about preventing blood-borne diseases, reducing drug use and improving the health of Texas support this bill!
- All of the research on syringe exchange programs proves conclusively that HIV rates decrease by 18% in cities with syringe exchange programs, while cities with out syringe exchange have HIV rates that increase by 8%
- Syringe exchange programs contribute to recovery readiness by providing a critical space for addiction counselors and injection drug users to interact, build trust and discuss treatment options.
- By decreasing HIV and hepatitis C and other injection related infections, syringe exchange programs will save Texas millions of tax payer healthcare costs, and will not request or require funding from the state.
- Syringe exchange programs do not increase drug use in the cities where they operate. They are not advertised to non-users, nor do they recruit clients.
- Texas has the 4thHIV/AIDS rate in the nation and our rate is not decreasing. If we don’ take action now, this rate will continue to increase.
- Decreasing HIV and hepatitis C saves the lives of health care workers, first responders, emergency room personnel and the unborn from inadvertent contact with contaminated blood and accidental needle stick injuries.
Thank you for recognizing the need for syringe exchange in Texas.
Sincerely,
_______________________________________________
Please print your full name
_________________________________________________________________
Street address_________________________________________________________________
City and State_________________________________________________________________
Zip code
Texas State House of Representatives
Health and Human Services Committee
Representative Diane White Delisi
(Chair of Public Health Committee)
The Honorable Diane White Delisi
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
Ph (512) 463-0630
Fx (512) 463-0937
Representative Jodie Laubenberg
The Honorable Jodie Laubenberg
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
Ph: (512) 463-0186
Fx: (512) 463-5896
Representative Jim Jackson
The Honorable Jim Jackson
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
Ph: (512) 463-0468
Fx; (512) 463-1044
Representative Ellen Cohen
The Honorable Ellen Cohen
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
Ph: (512) 463-0389
Fx: (512) 463-1374
Representative Garnet Coleman
The Honorable Garnet Coleman
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
Ph: (512) 463-0524
Fx: (512) 463-1260
Representative Veronica Gonzales
The Honorable Veronica Gonzales
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
Ph: (512) 463-0578
Fx: (512) 463-1482
Representative Susan King
The Honorable Susan King
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
Ph: (512) 463-0718
Fx: (512) 463-5896
Representative Dora Olivo
The Honorable Dora Olivo
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 7876
Ph: (512) 463-0494
Fx: (512) 463-1403
Representative Vicki Truitt
The Honorable Vicki Truitt
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
Ph: (512) 463-0690
Fx: (512) 477-5770
Alexandra Pelosi, producer of documentary film “Friends of God”
