Syringe Expanded Access and Disposal

The Erie County Department of Health's (ECDOH) Syringe Expanded Access and Disposal project (SEAD) is an educational / action program which targets residents of the eight counties that comprise Western New York who use syringes. Information from a variety of sources indicated that these community members had limited knowledge of legal access to new, clean syringes without a prescription and appropriate avenues of disposal of used syringes, needles and lancets. Under the SEAD program, any persons purchasing medications that are injectable and/or syringes are educated on proper needle disposal by the pharmacy staff. Sharps containers are provided free of charge in small portable sizes that hold 10 - 15 used syringes (Fit Packs) and larger quart size containers. Return of used sharps in either one of the supplied containers or a safe alternative is encouraged. Our HIV Peer Outreach program also routinely includes information about the program in the materials they distribute targeting areas of high risk for drug use and HIV infection.

The goal of this program is to educate syringe users about access to clean syringes and proper medical waste disposal and to provide sharps containers and disposal sites to syringe users.

There have been approximately 30,000 Fit Packs and 2,000 quart size sharps containers distributed and 3,845 pounds of medical waste have been collected by a regulated medical waste hauler to date.