Congratulations!  Your faxes to the Texas Senate are making a difference and helping make needle exchange a reality in Texas.

Texas is celebrating a victory with the passage of SB 308---a bill allowing for legal access to sterile syringes---through the Senate Health and Human Services Committee! This life-saving legislation is now quickly moving to the Senate floor for a vote, and you can help get the votes needed for passage.  Please tell key members of the Senate that Texas supports SB 308!

Syringe exchange programs reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases and increase access to drug treatment for injection drug users---without increasing drug use. Yet Texas, which has the nation's fourth highest rate of HIV/AIDS infections, punishes health care professionals for providing syringe exchange services to injection drug users! The time has come for Texas to untie the hands of public health professionals so they can fight these deadly diseases with the most effective, proven interventions.

Because this bill is moving so quickly, we ask you to take action now. Please send a fax to key Senators who need a little more encouragement before they are asked to vote.

If you would like more information on how you can get involved in supporting this critically important legislation, please contact our allies at the ACLU of Texas who are leading the charge in the fight against HIV and hepatitis C in Texas.  Contact: Chris Bernard, Access Project, ACLU TX cbernard@aclutx.org .

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

Roseanne Scotti
Drug Policy Alliance Network