Drug use and harm reduction policy: alternative perspectives on the California proposal.

On October, 12, 2003, then California Governor Gray Davis vetoed legislation which would have created a trial period for evaluating nonprescription pharmacy access to needles and syringes for adults in California. An analysis of California Senate Bill 774 provides a case study to examine the struggle for clean syringe and needle access as a component of disease prevention along with the community fear of tacit approval for illicit drug use. Reflecting upon the empirically-supported research and community concerns for this specific type of harm reduction policy is an important step towards forming common political ground. This article underscores the relevance of syringe deregulation and its relevance as an ethical and political issue for social workers.