FRESNO COUNTY APPROVES NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

FRESNO, Calif. -- Fresno County supervisors are supporting a needle
exchange program aimed at reducing disease among drug addicts who might be
tempted to use contaminated needles.

The board voted 3-2 on Tuesday to approve a pilot, one-year program that
will include substance abuse counseling and free medical care.

The supervisors, who have rejected similar proposals in the past,
acknowledged concerns about illegal drug use, but said the county needs to
reduce the spread of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C.

Volunteers with the Fresno Needle Exchange have been operating informally
for more than a decade, handing out up to 8,000 clean hypodermic needles
each Saturday in exchange for dirty ones.

The new program now will be housed in a support center where clean needles
can be dispensed legally.