Hundreds are Using the Needle Exchange Program

Health officials are evaluating the new needle exhange program, to see if it’s having the impact they anticipate that it will. In a recent study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that hepatitis C cases in four Appalachian states — Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia — more than tripled between 2006 and 2012. The Gazette-Mail says West Virginia hasn’t had an HIV outbreak through needle sharing, but health officials are watching since it’s a possibility with drug abuse still rampant. More than 150 patients typically participate in the needle exhange program each week.