Needle Exchange May Be Expanded

Sun., Feb. 23, 1997

From Staff And Wire Reports

Getting needle exchanges off the streets and into drugstores has been effective in Connecticut and might be tried here, health officials say.

At a briefing Friday for the Seattle-King County Health Board, Dr. Bob Wood, director of the agency’s AIDS Control Program, said more than a million needles a year are distributed in the county through a needle-exchange at seven locations.

That covers about 20 percent of the need, and four of five illegal drug injections are made with potentially contaminated syringes, he said.

Health officials estimate the county has 18,000 to 20,000 injection-drug users and 386 pharmacies.

The number of addicts using sterile needles increased threefold in Connecticut after drug paraphernalia laws were changed so pharmacists could exchange dirty needles, Wood said.

Louise Miller, a health board member who is also on the County Council, said a similar move could cut costs in King County’s program.

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