Free needle program suppresses diseases, saves lives, officials say

More than 1.5 million free needles were distributed to 3,000 drug users in the first 18 months of a Columbus initiative aimed at preventing the spread of HIV and other infectious diseases, encouraging addicts to enter rehabilitation and saving those who overdose on opioids. The Safe Point syringe access program, administered by Equitas Health with Columbus Public Health oversight, started in January 2016, and people have been flooding in to take part.