Section 121349.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that scientific data from needle exchange programs in the United States and in Europe have shown that the exchange of used hypodermic needles and syringes for clean hypodermic needles and syringes does not increase drug use in the population, can serve as an important bridge to treatment and recovery from drug abuse, and can curtail the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among the intravenous drug user population.

(b) In order to reduce the spread of HIV infection and bloodborne hepatitis among the intravenous drug user population within California, the Legislature hereby authorizes a clean needle and syringe exchange project pursuant to this chapter in any city, county, or city and county upon the action of a county board of supervisors and the local health officer or health commission of that county, or upon the action of the city council, the mayor, and the local health officer of a city with a health department, or upon the action of the city council and the mayor of a city without a health department.

(c) The authorization provided under this section shall only be for a clean needle and syringe exchange project as described in Section 121349.1.

(d) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2019.

(Repealed (in Sec. 1) and added by Stats. 2011, Ch. 744, Sec. 1.5. Effective January 1, 2012. Section operative January 1, 2019, by its own provisions.)