Editing Needle and syringe programmes (section)

==== San Francisco ====
Since the full sanction of syringe exchange programs (SEP) by then-Mayor [[Frank Jordan]] in 1993, the San Francisco Department of Public Health has been responsible for the management of syringe access and the proposed disposal of these devices in the city. This sanction, which was originally executed as a state of emergency to address the HIV epidemic, allowed SEPs to provide sterile syringes, take back used devices, and operate as a service for health education to support individuals struggling with [[substance use disorder]]s. Since then, it was approximated that from July 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017, only 1,672,000 out of the 3,030,000 distributed needles (60%) were returned to the designated sites.<ref name="sfw">{{Cite news|url=http://www.sfweekly.com/news/s-f-pins-down-its-needle-problem/|title=S.F. Pins Down Its Needle Problem - April 25, 2018 - SF Weekly|date=2018-04-25|work=SF Weekly|access-date=2018-11-02}}</ref> In April 2018, acting Mayor [[Mark Farrell (politician)|Mark Farrell]] allocated $750,000 towards the removal of abandoned needles littering the streets of San Francisco.<ref name="sfw" />