(a) The Illinois Department of Public Health, in cooperation with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, must create guidelines for the proper disposal of hypodermic syringes, needles, and other sharps used for self-administration purposes that are consistent with the available guidelines regarding disposal for home health care products provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. In establishing these guidelines, the Department shall promote flexible and convenient disposal methods appropriate to the area and level of services available to the person disposing of the hypodermic syringe, needle, or other sharps. The Department guidelines shall encourage the use of safe disposal programs that include, but are not limited to, the following:
         (1) drop box or supervised collection sites;
         (2) sharps mail-back programs;
         (3) syringe exchange programs; and
         (4) at-home needle destruction devices.
     (b) The Illinois Department of Public Health must develop educational materials regarding the safe disposal of hypodermic syringes, needles, and other sharps and distribute copies of these educational materials to pharmacies and the public. The educational materials must include information regarding safer injection, HIV prevention, proper methods for the disposal of hypodermic syringes, needles, and other sharps, and contact information for obtaining treatment for drug abuse and addiction.
     (c) As soon as practicable after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly, the Department of Public Health shall review and, if necessary, revise the guidelines and educational materials developed pursuant to this Section so that those guidelines and materials inform members of the public about the prohibitions under § 56.1 of the Environmental Protection Act.