The Indiana State Department of Health today declared a public health emergency for Lawrence County, allowing the county’s health department to establish a needle-exchange program in an effort to reduce the spread of hepatitis C.
“As we fight the national opioid epidemic, we’ve seen time and again that rising hepatitis C rates can be a sign that injection drug use is occurring in a community,” said State Health Commissioner Jerome Adams, M.D., M.P.H. “Syringe exchange is one tool that can help prevent the spread of disease, so long as it’s part of a response that also includes access to testing, treatment and other services critical to improving individuals’ health.”
The Indiana Recovery Alliance, a Bloomington-based nonprofit that operates Monroe County's needle exchange program, will provide the same services in Lawrence County.
Along with providing new, clean needles and sharps disposal containers, the IRA distributes naloxone, the drug that reverses opioid overdoses, provides free HIV and hepatitis C testing, and makes referrals to treatment and other social services.
"The needle exchange ends up being a pretty small part of what we do," said Chris Abert, project coordinator for the Indiana Recovery Alliance.
The Lawrence County declaration follows a request for one by the county commissioners.
The declaration will run through Sept. 29, 2017.
Senate Enrolled Act 461 made syringe exchange programs legal in Indiana for the first time under certain circumstances and requirements.
Public health emergencies have already been declared in Monroe, Clark, Madison, Fayette, Wayne and Scott counties.
Herald-Times Staff Writer Lauren Slavin contributed to this report.