Mission

TACOMA NEEDLE EXCHANGE IS THE FIRST LEGALLY SANCTIONED SYRINGE EXCHANGE PROGRAM (SEP) IN THE UNITED STATES. IT WAS FOUNDED BY DAVE PURCHASE, A DRUG AND ALCOHOL COUNSELOR, IN AUGUST 1988 IN RESPONSE TO THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC. TACOMA NEEDLE EXCHANGE WAS INCORPORATED AS THE POINT DEFIANCE AIDS PROJECTS (PDAP), A NOT-FOR- PROFIT 501 (C)(3) ON DECEMBER 5, 1988. IN 1993, TO MEET THE NEEDS OF A NASCENT US HARM REDUCTION MOVEMENT, PDAP EXPANDED NATIONALLY AND FORMED THE NORTH AMERICAN SYRINGE EXCHANGE NETWORK (NASEN) TO PROVIDE HIGH-QUALITY, LOW COST, HARM REDUCTION SUPPLIES TO SEPS THROUGHOUT THE US. IN AUGUST 2018, ON THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FOUNDING, POINT DEFIANCE AIDS PROJECTS FORMALLY CHANGED ITS NAME TO DAVE PURCHASE PROJECT (DPP) IN HONOR OF ITS FOUNDER. TACOMA NEEDLE EXCHANGE (TNE) AND THE NORTH AMERICAN SYRINGE EXCHANGE NETWORK (NASEN) ARE BOTH INITIATIVES OF DAVE PURCHASE PROJECT.