The Illinois House passed landmark HIV-prevention legislation last week by a vote of 70 to 48, allowing adults to purchase and possess syringes without a prescription.
‘This is the most significant piece of HIV-prevention legislation to pass in Illinois in over a decade,’ said Mark Ishaug, AIDS Foundation of Chicago executive director. ‘It will literally save the lives of thousands of men, women, and children.’
Seven federal reports and 40 scientific studies show that expanded access to sterile syringes prevents HIV transmission without increasing drug use.
Senate Bill 880, sponsored by State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, and 26 others, follows the path of Connecticut, Minnesota, and several other states.
AFC and others are now calling on the governor to sign the bill into law.