title: The legality of selling or giving syringes to injection drug users.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Temple University Beasley School of Law, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. scott.burris@temple.edu
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burris
authors.forename: Jon S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Vernick
authors.forename: Alyssa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ditzler
authors.forename: Steffanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Strathdee
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007883:Legislation, Medical / Q000639:trends*; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs; D010595:Pharmacists; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous; D013594:Syringes / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D014481:United States