body
WHEREAS, rates of opioid use, fatal overdoses and Hepatitis C diagnoses are increasing in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County; and
WHEREAS, syringe access is an evidence-based structural intervention to reduce HIV transmission and a proven method of reaching individuals who are currently injecting drugs in order to engage them in other risk-reduction services; and
WHEREAS, the Allegheny County Health Department has planned to close their Oakland clinic where Prevention Point Pittsburgh currently operates their largest needle exchange service site on Sundays; and
WHEREAS, Prevention Point Pittsburgh has identified Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force as a suitable replacement venue;” and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Allegheny County Ordinance 04-08-OR, the Council of the County of Allegheny adopted and approved Article II, Allegheny County Health Department Rules and Regulations pertaining to Needle Exchange Programs for Communicable Disease Prevention and Providing Drug Treatment Opportunities (the “Rules and Regulations”); and
WHEREAS, Section 205D of the Rules and Regulations states that, “No Needle Exchange Program shall operate in any location until the address of the Program Location is specifically approved by the Allegheny County Board of Health and the hosting municipality through legislative action;” and
WHEREAS, Prevention Point Pittsburgh is a non-profit seeking to run a Needle Exchange Program the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force’s location at 5913 Penn Avenue in the East Liberty neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, monitored needle exchange programs reduce the transmission of the HIV virus and Hepatitis B and C among high-risk groups and ensures the distribution of clean injection apparatus and dispensing of biohazard containers in a manner consistent with the goal of preventing infectious diseases; and
WHEREAS, Prevention Point Pittsburgh obtained approval from the Allegheny County Board of Health for the proposed location and other operational logistics of this program in November 2016; and
title
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh hereby approves the location for Prevention Point Pittsburgh to operate a Needle Exchange Program at 5913 Penn Avenue.