Burris Scott, Vernick Jon S, Ditzler Alyssa, Strathdee Steffanie
Temple University Beasley School of Law, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
J Am Pharm Assoc (Wash). 2002 Nov-Dec;42(6 Suppl 2):S13-8. doi: 10.1331/1086-5802.42.0.s13.burris.
Laws limiting access to sterile syringes impede the public health goal that injection drug users (IDUs) use a new, sterile syringe for every injection to reduce blood-borne disease transmission. We sought to determine the legality of selling or giving syringes to IDUs to prevent disease.
We used standard legal research methods to identify and analyze laws and regulations influencing the distribution of syringes in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
A total of 51 jurisdictions had drug paraphernalia laws; 14 had syringe prescription laws or regulations; 11 required purchasers to show identification; 13 had legislation authorizing syringe exchange programs (SEPs). Since the beginning of the human immunodeficiency virus epidemic, 11 states have fully or partially deregulated syringe sales. Nonprescription retail syringe sales to IDUs for disease prevention purposes are clearly legal in 20 states, and have a reasonable claim to legality in 22 more. Sales to IDUs with a prescription are clearly illegal in only 3 jurisdictions. SEPs can operate legally in at least 21 states.
Syringe access laws in most states may reasonably be interpreted to allow pharmacists to sell syringes to IDUs to prevent disease. In practice, however, unclear laws and pharmacist uncertainty as to their interpretation may constitute continuing barriers to syringe access for IDUs. A comprehensive public policy of ensuring syringe access for IDUs requires eliminating legal barriers to the sale, possession, and disposal of syringes, and educating pharmacists and law enforcement officials about the legality and public health importance of sterile syringe access.
限制获取无菌注射器的法律阻碍了公共卫生目标的实现，即注射吸毒者每次注射都使用新的无菌注射器以减少血源性疾病传播。我们试图确定向注射吸毒者出售或提供注射器以预防疾病的合法性。
我们使用标准法律研究方法来识别和分析影响50个州、哥伦比亚特区、波多黎各和美属维尔京群岛注射器分发的法律法规。
共有51个司法管辖区制定了毒品用具相关法律；14个有注射器处方法律法规；11个要求购买者出示身份证明；13个有立法授权注射器交换项目（SEP）。自人类免疫缺陷病毒流行开始以来，11个州已完全或部分放宽了注射器销售规定。出于疾病预防目的向注射吸毒者进行非处方零售注射器销售在20个州显然合法，在另外至少22个州也有合理的合法性主张。仅在3个司法管辖区，向有处方的注射吸毒者销售注射器明确违法。SEP在至少21个州可合法运作。
多数州的注射器获取法律可被合理地解释为允许药剂师向注射吸毒者出售注射器以预防疾病。然而在实际中，法律不明确以及药剂师对其解释的不确定性可能持续阻碍注射吸毒者获取注射器。确保注射吸毒者能够获取注射器的全面公共政策需要消除注射器销售、持有和处置方面的法律障碍，并向药剂师和执法官员宣传无菌注射器获取的合法性及公共卫生重要性。
