Louisville's needle exchange program starts Wednesday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The latest battle in the war against drugs and disease in Louisville starts Wednesday.

The first needle exchange program in Kentucky will operate from an RV parked outside the Metro Dept. of Health & Wellness on Gray St., and inside there are more than just clean needles.

As supporters ceremonially cut the blue ribbon officially launching the program, they called it a blue ribbon day in Metro Louisville's battle against drugs and disease.

"Our main concern, and our main desire here, is to eradicate the use of heroin," said Metro Council President David Tandy.

"If we can get people off of heroin, and get them sober, we have the opportunity to reduce crime in our community," added Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad.

Starting Wednesday, heroin addicts can come to the facility six days a week to exchange dirty needles for clean ones.

City leaders say they want to prevent what has happened in southern Indiana, where the sharing of dirty needles has led to an epidemic of HIV and Hepatitis C.

"Kentucky is number 1 in the incidence of Hepatitis C, and needle exchange can do something about that," said Diane Hague of the Jefferson Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center.

Metro Council member Vicki Aubrey Welch, who is also a registered nurse, believes the crisis is so serious it will overcome any remaining skepticism in her district.

"We do have quite an issue with needles being found around on the streets in my district," she said.

The RV is going to be Matt Larocco's office. His team has been trained in more than just needle exchange. They will also offer HIV screening, counseling and options for treatment.

"It's about meeting somebody where they're at, helping them make the change they want to make, and then connecting them with the services to help them make the changes they want to make," said Larocco.

The Health Dept. expects the program to begin slowly at first, then gain momentum as those who need it learn to trust it.

WDRB asked Dr. Sarah Moyer, the interim director of the Dept. of Health & Wellness how she will measure the success of the program.

"With the number of participants we have, the number of needles we're exchanging, HIV and Hep cases we're preventing, and the number of people we can lead to treatment," she said.

As WDRB reported previously, the needle exchange will also include "boots on the ground." A full-time person will literally go door-to-door in neighborhoods where the heroin problem is the worst, starting in southwest Louisville.

The Louisville Metro Public Health & Wellness needle exchange center will be available Tuesday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

If the program proves successful, it could be expanded.