ACR Health’s Safety First Syringe Exchange Program (SEP) consists of compassionate staff, peer educators, and mobile units.
- Public Health Law allows individuals to legally obtain and transport syringes provided they enroll in a confidential SEP and carry an identification card that contains their program participation code.
- Staff and Peer Educators outreach in targeted neighborhoods; educate about the dangers of sharing needles, injection equipment, signs of an overdose, and provide sterile supplies to safely inject along with other harm reduction resources.
- Program services for people who inject drugs (PWID), steroids, hormones, or insulin can be arranged by SEP Staff in ACR Health’s nine-county region.
- Highly-trained peers also deliver SEP services within their own social networks.
- The mobile unit operates at established locations on scheduled days and times.
Safety First Syringe Exchange Program
- We provide a Safe Space and Non-Judgmental environment, offering Free and Confidential Services to All persons in need of new Sterile Safe injection Supplies & Sharps containers for their necessaries.
- Helps people who inject drugs (PWID) adopt behaviors that reduce their risk of contracting HIV, viral hepatitis, and other opportunistic infections.
- Educates clients about the importance of avoiding syringe sharing, safer injection, and drug consumption techniques.
- Offers Harm Reduction counseling, Overdose Prevention education, training, and counseling
- Referrals for HIV/HCV/STI counseling and testing, Primary/Mental health care, Wound care treatment, substance use programs, medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), Supportive services, and more are provided upon assessment needs.
- Provides Safer Sex education, safer sex supplies with instructions, demonstrations, and more.
To contact Syringe Exchange email us at SEP@ACRHealth.org or call us at (315) 475-2430.
Syracuse Office Hours
637 W. Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY
Monday: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm | 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm | 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Street Outreach: Oswego County, WEDNESDAYS ONLY
10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Please call if services are needed: 315-634-3267
Thursday: CLOSED
Street Outreach: Dudley St. & Fitch St., THURSDAYS ONLY
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Friday: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm | 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Utica Office Hours
287 Genesee Street, Utica, NY
Monday: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm | 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday: CLOSED
Thursday: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm | 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Friday: CLOSED
Watertown Office Hours
135 Franklin Street, Watertown, NY
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: 9 am – 12:30 pm | 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Wednesday: CLOSED
Thursday: CLOSED
Friday: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm | 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Oswego Office Hours
Wednesday ONLY: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm | 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Call (315) 475-2430 for service information
The Safety-First Syringe Exchange Program is a harm reduction initiative that is proven to prevent the spread of HIV/Hepatitis and other bloodborne pathogens. The AIDS Institute of the New York State Department of Health has 23 established syringe exchange programs with over 82 fixed sites in NYS and has proven to decrease the spread of HIV infections amongst injection drug use from 50% to less than 2%.