It is estimated that an individual injecting drug users (IDUs) injects about 1,000 times a year.(5) This adds up to millions of injections, creating an enormous need for reliable sources of sterile syringes. The Thurston County Public Health and Social Services Syringe Exchange Program (SEP) provide a way for those IDUs who continue to inject to safely dispose of used syringes and to obtain sterile syringes at no cost. The department SEP provide a range of related prevention and care services that are vital to helping IDUs reduce their risks of acquiring and transmitting blood-borne viruses as well as maintain and improve their overall health.

Syringe Exchange offers a 1 for 1 exchange of syringes at offsite locations in an effort to stop the spread of HIV and Hepatitis through the use of dirty syringes.

Other Services

HIV/AIDS education and counseling
Condom distribution to prevent sexual transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
Referrals to substance abuse treatment and other medical and social services
Distribution of alcohol swabs to help prevent abscesses and other bacterial infections
On-site HIV testing and counseling and crisis intervention
Referrals for tuberculosis (TB) screening, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and other infections; and
Primary medical services

Syringe Exchange Schedule

Mondays (Mobile Syringe Exchange)	1:00PM - 5:00PM
	To schedule an exchange, call (360) 280-6746. Calls are received between the hours of 12:00PM - 4:00PM.
Tuesdays and Thursdays	2:00PM - 7:00PM
	*NOTE-New Location: 407 Adams Street in Downtown Olympia. The Store Front across Adams from Olympic Outfitters and the Artesian Well
The Syringe Exchange is closed during all major holidays. For more information, please call (360) 867-2500.