Syringe Exchange and Harm Reduction Activity in France 2008

"In 2010, 135 CAARUDs [Support Centre for the Reduction of Drug-related Harms] existed throughout France. These are medico-social centres funded by the French social security system. They operate in various places with diverse methods. Of these, 95% offer a stationary reception service, 66% have street teams, 47% operate in squats, 40% have mobile teams, 39% work with teams on the party scene and 28% have developed prison activities. They largely contribute to distributing clean injection equipment (3.8 million syringes in 2008) and other prevention equipment (e.g., ancillary injection equipment, condoms).
"The major activities undertaken by these units are: providing assistance with hygiene and first aid care, offering health education promotion activities, helping people get access to social services, following-up on administrative and legal procedures and seeking out urgent accommodation.
"More specifically, the 2008 CAARUD activities pertaining to distributing prevention equipment were:
"• syringes: 2.3 M single syringes and 530,000 kits (2 syringes per kit, i.e. approximately 1 M syringes) handed over personally and 200,000 kits (2 syringes, i.e. 400,00 syringes) via distribution machines managed by CAARUD (see below);
"• small injection equipment: 1.1
"• condoms: 782,000, 91% of which were male condoms
"• gel: approximately 292,000 units."