NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM STARTS, WITH COUNTY'S BLESSING

After years of underground distribution, volunteers will begin supplying
clean needles to injection drug users openly and legally on April 7 in the
parking lot of the Allegheny County, Pa., Health Department. They will also
continue to deliver needles to "shooting galleries" in the Hill, McKeesport
and other communities. The department authorized Prevention Point Pittsburgh
(PPP) two weeks ago to operate a yearlong needle exchange pilot program,
said Stuart Fisk, a registered nurse and co-founder of PPP.

Though the Health Department has always resisted such a program, it finally
sanctioned needle exchange last year in the face of mounting evidence that
giving injection drug users an alternative to sharing needles helps stem the
spread of HIV and hepatitis C. The department, which provided no funding,
chose PPP because of its experience with the underground effort since the
mid-1990s.

The distribution and use of non-prescription needles remains illegal in
Pennsylvania; however, counties can declare states of health emergency to
override state law, as Philadelphia did years ago. Allegheny County followed
suit last year. The county sanction now opens up the formerly underground
needle exchange operation to more funding opportunities. Last week, the
Jewish Healthcare Foundation awarded PPP a $30,000 two-year grant. PPP will
also be able to provide more services, such as disease testing, Fisk said.

PPP distributes about 6,000 syringes and condoms each week on an annual
budget of about $180,000, according to Fisk. A year ago, it hired a
full-time coordinator and would like to add more staff. "We hope to hire a
case manager, someone who could work getting exchangers into methadone
treatment, helping them with health care, and housing... being their
advocate," said Fisk.