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Delaware Needle Exchange Gets Okay from Senate

inmagine.com

DOVER, Del. (AP) - The state Senate has passed a bill authorizing the statewide expansion of a needle exchange program aimed at reducing the spread of HIV, hepatitis and other diseases.

The bill cleared the Senate on a 13-5 vote Tuesday and now goes to the House.

The legislation would expand a needle exchange program that currently is confined to the city of Wilmington, where drug addicts can exchange used needles and syringes for clean ones provided by the Division of Public Health.

Supporters of the program contend it helps prevent the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus, Hepatitis B and other blood-borne diseases, while encouraging drug addicts to seek substance abuse treatment.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.