Florida Statute §381.0098 authorizes county-approved Sterile Needle and Syringe Exchange Programs (SSEP). Duval County operates the SHARP program through Gateway Community Services and partners. Households must dispose of sharps via mail-back kits or pharmacy take-back, never in regular trash.
Section 381.0098 was passed in 2019 to allow Florida counties to authorize syringe exchange programs, and the 2023 amendments expanded statewide eligibility. Duval County's SHARP (Syringe Health and Recovery Program) operates with county approval and provides clean syringes, naloxone, HIV/HCV testing, and referrals to treatment for participants. Enrolled participants are protected from prosecution under §893.13(11) for paraphernalia possession of program-issued items. Households are required by FL §381.0098 and federal medical-waste rules to use rigid puncture-proof containers and either mail-back kits or pharmacy take-back; loose syringes in residential trash violate sanitary nuisance laws and risk needlestick injuries to sanitation workers.
Disposing loose syringes in regular trash creates a sanitary nuisance under FL §381.0072, with code-enforcement fines up to $500, mandatory cleanup, and possible misdemeanor charges if intentional. Possession protections do not extend to non-participants.
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