Community syringe collection and disposal policies in 16 states.

OBJECTIVE

To review laws, regulations, and guidelines that affect the collection and disposal of hypodermic needles, syringes, and lancets used outside of professional health care settings (hereafter referred to as "community syringes").

DESIGN

Law and policy analysis.

SETTING

Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin.

INTERVENTION

Information on syringe collection and disposal in the community was gathered from federal and state records and state agency personnel.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Legally permissible means of syringe collection and disposal available to persons in the community injecting medical treatments and injection drug users.

RESULTS

Laws, regulations, or guidelines in 13 states allowed community syringes to be legally discarded in household trash; guidelines for in-trash disposal varied among the states. Only 6 states had laws or regulations that specifically addressed community syringe collection. In 10 states, infectious waste laws and regulations that apply to medical facilities such as clinics would also apply to community syringe collection sites.

CONCLUSION

In the 16 states studied, laws, regulations, and guidelines relating to community syringe collection and disposal were somewhat inconsistent and confusing and presented potential barriers to safe disposal. States should consider amending laws, regulations, and guidelines to promote community syringe collection programs. A national effort is needed to achieve consistent community syringe collection and disposal laws and guidelines for all states. Pharmacists can aid in safe syringe disposal by counseling their patients about safe disposal, providing or selling sharps containers, and accepting used syringes for safe disposal. Pharmacists can join other interested groups in advocating clarification of disposal laws and regulations that favor community programs designed to keep syringes out of the trash so that they can be disposed of as infectious waste.