Welcome to NEP Action, the national grassroots lobbying site to make needle exchange legal in all 50 states. Needle exchange legality is a state issue, and our first action alert is for the state of California. If you are from another state, please subscribe to our alert list and visit again!

On Monday, August 16, the San Francisco Chronicle editorialized in favor of AB 518, a bill sponsored by state assemblywoman Kerry Mazzoni (D-San Rafael) to provide legal protection to needle exchange programs in California that operate with the approval of their local governments. Please use our online legislative form to send an e-mail or fax to your assemblymember and state senator in support of AB 518. (To make an even greater impact, write down their numbers or mailing addresses and follow-up with a letter or phone call.) And please tell your friends to visit this web site and support AB 518. People laboring to stop the spread of deadly diseases like hepatitis and AIDS shouldn't have to worry about getting arrested for it!

If you want to do more, please submit a letter to the editor in support of the Chronicle's stance. Send it to: Letters to the Editor, San Francisco Chronicle, 901 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103, or fax to (415) 543-7708 or e-mail to chronletters@sfgate.com. Letters should be 250 words or less (the shorter the more likely to get published) and include your name, address and phone for verification. (Please e-mail a copy of your letter to alert-feedback@drcnet.org.) Send letters to other local and statewide papers too!