Members of the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department met with community partners’ today/Friday to make a plan for a needle-exchange program in the city.
This legislative session, lawmakers paved the way for communities to run needle exchange programs to stop the spread of disease among heroin users and hopefully get them the help they need to get clean. Commissioner of Health Dr. Rice Leach wants to be sure the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is helping drug users in two ways when the needle exchange program is implemented here “to prevent the spread of communicable diseases like Hepatitis B and C and HIV and to receive referrals from people like the emergency medical folks and police who find folks in trouble and try to get them into services either for infectious diseases or drug abuse. That’s the Public Health Department’s initial approach to this. There’s a lot more to it but we’re starting with what we know how to do and what we’ve done for years”
While Lexington is still in the planning stages, Louisville has started their program and health officials there say it’s showing promise in the first week and that statistics are showing it doesn’t promote drug use but instead is providing an opportunity to offer services to help addicts get off the drug. Dr. Leach hopes to have the program available in Fayette County by Labor Day. Public Safety Commissioner Ronnie Bastin said he will support the plan when it’s presented to council members.