ASHLAND A new needle exchange program is coming to Boyd County starting July 1 to help stop the spread of harmful diseases.
Jennifer Burchett, the Nurse Administrator of the Ashland-Boyd County Health Department, talked about the new program at the Ashland Rotary Club. She said eastern Kentucky is seeing a rise in people contracting Hepatitis C.
“Hepatitis C is a huge problem in eastern Kentucky,” Burchett said. “We have found that many are using dirty needles while on heroin and spreading the disease.”
The new program, which will exchange used needles with new clean needles, will help stop the spreading of hepatitis C and HIV.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 45 percent of Kentucky residents addicted to heroin were also addicted to opioid painkillers. Cases of hepatitis C in the state increased more than 50 percent from 2007 to 2011.
Kentucky has one-fourth of the 220 U.S. counties that the CDC had judged to be at high risk for outbreaks of HIV and hepatitis C among intravenous drug users.
Several northeastern Kentucky counties were among that 25 percent including:
- Lawrence (39)
- Johnson (53)
- Elliott (56)
- Greenup (129)
- Carter (154)
- Boyd (187)
“We hope this program will build a rapport with these people and lead them to getting help,” Burchett said.
The Needle Exchange program will kick off July 1 at The Neighborhood on Carter Avenue where users can drop of used needles in exchange for clean ones. The program is completely anonymous except for age and gender.
“We really tried to think of a location that will be accessible for everyone,” Burchett said. “The overall goal is to stop the spreading of these diseases in the area.”
She was asked if there were other ways it could be spread and if drug users really cared about using clean needles.
“It can be spread through intercourse, use of dirty needles and through pregnancy,” Burchett said.
Burchett said while the program will not put a stop to the drug problem, it can make a difference in the community concerning the spread of hepatitis C and HIV.
“It’s our job to help protect the community from these things,” Burchett said.
Jennifer Burchett, the Nurse Administrator of the Ashland-Boyd County Health Department, talked about the new program at the Ashland Rotary Club. She said eastern Kentucky is seeing a rise in people contracting Hepatitis C.
“Hepatitis C is a huge problem in eastern Kentucky,” Burchett said. “We have found that many are using dirty needles while on heroin and spreading the disease.”
The new program, which will exchange used needles with new clean needles, will help stop the spreading of hepatitis C and HIV.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 45 percent of Kentucky residents addicted to heroin were also addicted to opioid painkillers. Cases of hepatitis C in the state increased more than 50 percent from 2007 to 2011.
Kentucky has one-fourth of the 220 U.S. counties that the CDC had judged to be at high risk for outbreaks of HIV and hepatitis C among intravenous drug users.
Several northeastern Kentucky counties were among that 25 percent including:
- Lawrence (39)
- Johnson (53)
- Elliott (56)
- Greenup (129)
- Carter (154)
- Boyd (187)
“We hope this program will build a rapport with these people and lead them to getting help,” Burchett said.
The Needle Exchange program will kick off July 1 at The Neighborhood on Carter Avenue where users can drop of used needles in exchange for clean ones. The program is completely anonymous except for age and gender.
“We really tried to think of a location that will be accessible for everyone,” Burchett said. “The overall goal is to stop the spreading of these diseases in the area.”
She was asked if there were other ways it could be spread and if drug users really cared about using clean needles.
“It can be spread through intercourse, use of dirty needles and through pregnancy,” Burchett said.
Burchett said while the program will not put a stop to the drug problem, it can make a difference in the community concerning the spread of hepatitis C and HIV.
“It’s our job to help protect the community from these things,” Burchett said.
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