Skip to main content

The timeline can be navigated with the “Scroll Left” and “Scroll Right” buttons or by dragging the pointer to a date on the timeline waveform (located at the bottom of the screen on the desktop version and on the left of the screen on mobile). To filter by a particular topic and see a smaller section of the data, make a selection on the dropdown “Filters” menu or click “Search” to do a keyword search. Hover over the abbreviated filter tags in the blue boxes to see the complete name of the filter, or click a filter to display all the data with this tag. If you want to take a deeper dive into a specific topic by viewing a narrative essay page and a curated timeline, click on “Stories.”

Read More
A man in a red hat holds sign that reads "Needle Exchange saves live" with an image of a syringe. Behind him, a crowd of protestors.
ACT UP march for syringe exchange in Philadelphia (2012). (Photo: Kaytee Riek)

Pilot syringe exchange program proposed in New York City, inspired by existing community-led projects.

1985

HR
COP
DRUG
RES
ACT UP march for syringe exchange in Philadelphia (2012). (Photo: Kaytee Riek)

In 1985, the New York City Department of Health proposes a city-led pilot syringe exchange program. The memorandum is leaked to the police, who veto the proposal.

Another pilot program will be proposed by the city and adopted in 1988 despite strong opposition, producing positive results for helping people access long-term substance use treatment, but it is not comprehensive enough to reduce unsafe injections and the transmission of HIV. As such, this pilot program will be discontinued in 1989.

Community-led initiatives will last longer because they are woven into collective care, collective safety, and street economy-based strategies.