ANDERSON, Ind. (AP) _ A central Indiana county that won state approval last month to operate a needle-exchange program will launch that effort next week to combat the spread of diseases among intravenous drug users.
Madison County Health Department spokeswoman Kellie Kelley tells The Herald Bulletin the needle-exchange program will start next Wednesday and rotate between four sites in hopes of reducing the spread of hepatitis C among IV drug users.
Madison County in June became the second Indiana county to win state approval for a needle-exchange program under a new state law.
That law was approved amid an HIV outbreak in southern Indiana's Scott County that's become the largest such outbreak in Indiana history. That outbreak's been fueled by needle-sharing among IV drug users.
Scott County's needle-exchange program was approved in May.
