Indiana prosecutor urges against needle exchange
There must be something in the water in Indiana or something that they are feeding bureaucrats. The small county (Scott, pop 25,00) had a HIV +, Hep B&C “epidemic” of abt 200 people showing up a couple of years ago… Then Governor Pence (now VP Pence) was against a clean needle program in this county.. Then agreed to have one for THIRTY DAYS… eventually extended for one year and apparently has since been extended. Each one of those people represented a lifetime cost to treat the diseases they contracted sharing needles was an estimated 130 MILLION… Since these people have little/no financial resources… guess who is going to foot the bill…. Medicaid/taxpayers.
Keep in mind that Scott county is abt 30 miles north of Louisville, KY with a metro population – which includes 2-3 counties along the Ohio river of about 1.6 million people, and I-65 runs thru the dead center of the county… I-65 runs from Chicago area all the way to the Gulf of Mexico…. abt total of 800 miles. Now this NE Indiana Attorney/county prosecutor … is coming out against a clean needle prgm in his county. Just another part of our judicial system that wants to perpetuate the war on drugs ?
Muncie — A Delaware County prosecutor has urged county officials to oppose the organization of a needle exchange program, saying he believes the effort to decrease HIV infections was outweighed by risk of those needles being used to cook and use heroin.
The Star Press (http://tspne.ws/2oM4o71 ) reports council members unanimously authorized an attorney to draft a resolution opposing a needle exchange program following prosecutor Jeffrey Arnold’s presentation of Madison County’s needle exchange kit. The package included fresh needles, condoms, saline for injections, small heroin “cookers” with twist-tie handles and a bio-hazard container for used needles.
The Legislature passed a bill this month allowing counties to start needle-exchange programs without state approval. Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the bill Wednesday.
Nine of Indiana’s 92 counties have needle exchanges. They started after a 2015 HIV outbreak in Scott County.
Filed under: General Problems
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