The overall mission of Points of Distribution is to improve the overall health of drug users, their loved ones and other proximal community members.

Description:
Points of Distribution (POD) is a collectively managed, volunteer syringe exchange that operates in both Oakland and SF. We are an "outreach based exchange" meaning we go to the folks; they don't come to us.

History:
Points of Distribution (PoD) emerged in 2001 out of the experiences of people active in the harm reduction community who noted that certain injection drug users, most notably severely homeless ones , were not accessing syringe exchange as often as necessary in order to use clean equipment every time they injected.
These activists observed that traditional, fixed site, exchanges are only accessible to those people who are able to come to the syringe exchange site. This often means that those people whose use is too chaotic or those who may be suffering from other disabilities, such as HIV, hepatitis C, or mental illness, do not access exchange. In response to this need nascent PoD volunteers determined that a delivery and outreach-based exchange program might be able to address these concerns.

Contact person: Catherine Swanson, Coordinator, (phone), (email)

Address:

1775 Jefferson St Oakland, CA 9460994612 (See a map)

Web Site: None specified

Directions:

The mailing address is not the location of where we provide services; those are located in a variety of location because we are an outreach based exchange.   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: 19th St BART