County Supervisors Approve Needle Exchange
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to authorize the development of a needle exchange program aimed at reducing infection rates of HIV and hepatitis C among injection drug users, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reports.
As part of the program, the county authorized pharmacists to sell up to 10 needles or syringes to adults without a prescription. The county also might provide a way for high school students who are injecting steroids to obtain clean needles.
County Public Health Director Greg Thomas is expected to introduce a more detailed proposal for the exchange program in the coming weeks (Welton, San Luis Obispo Tribune, 3/9).