Drug users will be given free needles in Merced under new program (Merced Sun-Star)
Wednesday Sep 5th, 2018
A program in Merced will soon provide clean needles to drug users in an attempt to reduce the transfer of diseases, according to doctors.
Needle-exchange programs have shown some success. When Baltimore’s program launched more than 20 years ago, 63 percent of those with HIV were IV drug users. By 2014, the only 7 percent were IV drug users, contributing to one of the nation’s largest drops in new HIV cases, according to the Baltimore Sun.