Receptive syringe sharing among injection drug users in Harlem and the Bronx during the New York State Expanded Syringe Access Demonstration Program.
BACKGROUND
Effective on January 1, 2001, New York State enacted the Expanded Syringe Access Demonstration Program (ESAP), which allows syringes to be sold in pharmacies without a prescription or dispensed through doctors, hospitals, and clinics to persons 18 years of age or older and permits the possession of those syringes for the purposes of injecting drugs.


OBJECTIVE
To assess changes in receptive syringe sharing since the inception of the ESAP.


METHODS
Sociodemographic characteristics and syringe use data regarding the last injection episode were combined from 3 projects (n = 1181) recruiting injection drug users in ongoing studies in Harlem and the Bronx in New York City from January 2001 through June 2003. These data were analyzed as serial cross sections by calendar quarter.


RESULTS
Receptive sharing decreased significantly over time, from 13.4% in the first quarter to 3.6% in the last quarter. Obtaining the last injection syringe from an ESAP source (mostly pharmacies) increased significantly over time, from 7.5% in the first quarter to 25.0% in the last quarter. In multiple logistic regression analysis, variables that were significantly associated with less receptive sharing were syringe exchange and ESAP syringe source as well as time since ESAP inception. Female gender and white race/ethnicity were significantly associated with greater receptive sharing.


CONCLUSIONS
The increase in the use of pharmacies and other ESAP syringe sources in this sample has been accompanied by a decline in receptive sharing.
Pouget
Enrique R
ER
National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., New York, NY 10010, USA, pouget@ndri.org
Deren
Sherry
S
Fuller
Crystal M
CM
Blaney
Shannon
S
McMahon
James M
JM
Kang
Sung-Yeon
SY
Tortu
Stephanie
S
Andia
Jonny F
JF
Des Jarlais
Don C
DC
Vlahov
David
D
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000639:trends*; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs; D009519:New York City; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous; D013594:Syringes