Syringe Access Services

Aurora Syringe Access Services Overview


The Aurora Syringe Access Services (ASAS) is for people who inject drugs in the Aurora area, especially along Colfax Ave. We are open Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 - 4 p.m. at It Takes A Village, 1475 Lima St., Aurora, 80010. 

The United States is experiencing a serious and growing epidemic of opiate abuse, with deaths from opiates overall, and heroin specifically, increasing two- fold and four-fold respectively since 2000. Similar increases have occurred in Colorado, including Adams and Arapahoe Counties. 

Injecting drugs such as opiates can lead to outbreaks of blood-borne infections such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infections, as indicated by the recent outbreaks in rural  Indiana and northwest Colorado.

Syringe Access Services is an evidence-based approach that can reduce transmission of these infections by providing people who inject drugs with sterile injection equipment and safe disposal of needles. ASAS can also facilitate referrals to substance abuse treatment and prevent opiate overdose by providing Naloxone, an anti-overdose medication. 

Please contact 303-363-3077 or syringeaccess@tchd.org with any questions. 


Our Services


  • Syringe Access Services enrollment and education about legal rights
  • Provide sterile needles/syringes and harm reduction materials (syringe containers, cotton cooker, sterile water, tourniquet, etc.) along with harm reduction education
  • Disposal of used needles/syringes at SAS sites and during street outreach
  • Referrals to health care, health care access programs and community resources
  • On-site vein/wound care, wound care education and wound care kits
  • Overdose prevention education and Naloxone kit distribution
  • Mental and behavioral health navigation and referrals
  • Exemption card that protects participants from criminal charges related to syringe paraphenalia laws
  • Safer sex supplies and education
  • HIV and Hepatitis C testing and counseling

Syringe Disposal


Through ASAS, people who inject drugs can access sterile injection equipment and can safely dispose of used syringes. Needle exchange services reduce the number of discarded needles in public and the incidence of needle-stick injuries. If you see a used needle/syringe you can safely dispose of it:
  • Do not touch the needle with your bare hands - get the proper equipment: rubber or leather gloves, tongs or pliers and a puncture-resistant plastic container.
  • Using tongs or pliers, pick up the needle and transfer it to the container.
  • Secure the lid on the container.
  • Wash your hands and gloves.
  • Return to any syringe exchange program or a local sharps collection program.

Syringe Disposal
Overdose Prevention


Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, causing more deaths than motor vehicle crashes each year. However, there are ways overdoses can be prevented.
  • Overdose Prevention education at TCHD includes the understanding of what causes an overdoes, how to recognize an overdose, what to do it you see an overdose including rescue breathing and Naloxone administration, what not to do if you see an overdose and how to prevent overdose. 
  • Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a short acting opioid antagonist that rapidly reverses the life-threatening depression of the central nervous system and respiratory system stemming from an opioid overdose, allowing the person to resume breathing normally.
  • Naloxone is available from pharmacies and syringe exchange programs.

Additional Resources