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An Ordinance of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, suspending all needle exchange programs instituted by the Allegheny County Board of Health and/or Health Department until such time as the effectiveness, legality, and utility of such programs are demonstrated.
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WHEREAS, the Allegheny County Board of Health instituted a "needle exchange" pilot project for Allegheny County, under which intravenous drug users exchange used syringes for sterile ones, in March, 2002; and
WHEREAS, the stated purpose of this pilot program was to reduce the incidence of Hepatitis C and/or HIV/AIDS in the County's intravenous drug using population; and
WHEREAS, at that time, the Board of Health indicated that this program was to be run on a trial basis only; and
WHEREAS, in September 1, 2004, The Board of Health unanimously passed a motion requiring that the needle exchange program develop formalized operating regulations; and
WHEREAS, at the meeting at which the Board of Health passed this motion, Dr. Dixon expressed concerns that the program could get out of control without definitive operating regulations in place; and
WHEREAS, at this same meeting, Dr. Dixon also noted that statistics on the program's effects are not available in Allegheny County, and probably never would be available within the County; and
WHEREAS, neither the proposed program operating regulation nor data reflecting the effectiveness, utility, legality or cost-effectiveness of the program has ever been forwarded to Council; and
WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 2(m) of the Home Rule Charter vests Allegheny County Council with the authority to "[b]y ordinance or resolution, modify or eliminate any department, agency or function that no longer meets the needs of the County's taxpayers;" and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County Council currently has no information with regard to whether the County's needle exchange program continues to meet the needs of t...
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