ONCE WARY COUNTY SUPERVISOR LAUDS NEEDLE EXCHANGE

Barely a year into its existence, the county needle exchange program
has drawn high praise from the Board of Supervisors, including a rare
public apology from Chairman Jerry Lenthall, a former police sergeant
who had expressed reservations about the service.

"The culture I came from saw the death and destruction from needles,"
Lenthall told Public Health Director Greg Thomas last week. "You
walked the walk. I owe you a public apology." Lenthall only
reluctantly supported the program in a unanimous supervisory vote.

Needle exchange is a controversial, state-mandated program that is
also being tried in other states. It gives addicts a clean needle if
they turn in a used one.

Public health officials say the program will reduce the spread of
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and hepatitis C by reducing needle sharing.

Critics charge that needle exchange encourages addiction.

Rodger Anderson of Morro Bay, a member of the county's Drug and
Alcohol Advisory Board, said last year, "It's very important that the
public understand that needle exchange is not promoting injection
drug use; it's about controlling the spread of disease."

The Clean Syringe Access Program, as the county calls it, handed out
4,676 syringes and collected 5,368 between Nov. 6, 2006, and
mid-October. The syringes went to 50 individuals, who made 183
visits. Users can take as many as 30 at one time.

Exchanging syringes is not the only goal of the program. The county
also tries to steer people into treatment, according to Jason Wells
of Drug and Alcohol Services.

Supervisors proclaimed themselves pleased with the needle exchange.
Jim Patterson said it "looks successful so far," and praised Thomas
and his colleagues for "addressing an issue up front (instead of)
addressing the consequences after the fact."

Thomas said it took a while for addicts to trust the county. It took
three weeks before the first client came in, he said.

Wells and Thomas presented statistics that showed more men than women
are using the needle exchange service. They said there is
insufficient data to determine whether the exchange program is
reducing the incidence of hepatitis C or HIV in the county.

On another issue, the county has been paying increasing attention to
methamphetamine use and has scheduled a meeting in January at which
it will discuss gangs, drugs and other criminal activities.

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