We are focusing on four laws in Tennessee:
1. TCA 40-7-124 Needle Possession Officer Awareness
2. TCA 68-1-136 Safe Syringe Act
3. TCA 63-6-218 Good Samaritan Law
4. TCA 63-1-156 Overdose Prosecution Immunity
We chose to focus on these because they directly impact our most vulnerable metro and rural areas. This is especially so due to the continuing, rising rate of HIV, Hep C, and STI’s as well as overdose and hospitalizations due to endocarditis. Law enforcement continually confiscates participants’ sterile syringes, and Naloxone, outside of the limited time when the local syringe service is operating. Further, participants are being charged with paraphernalia even after letting officers know they have syringes in their possession. This is largely due to the isolation of such rural area’s miscommunication and mis-education about the effectiveness of sterile syringes and Naloxone as well as the laws surrounding these topics.