Needle exchange debated at UNITE meeting

“Why in the world would we want to give people, who inject drugs, needles? Common sense would tell us all that we are enabling people to shoot up.”

These are the words that Greg Lee, program director of HIV/AIDS continuing education for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Human Services, started his presentation with at a Whitley County UNITE Coalition meeting that was held at the Whitley County Health Department Monday afternoon.

“Because that program works. It helps save lives. It helps save infections. At least it is more likely to get them connected to treatment than it would be in scenarios where you don’t have syringe exchanges, which is where we are at right now in most Kentucky counties,” Lee said in part answering his own question.