Needle exchanges can save lives, reduce disease, report shows

Needle exchange programs — where drug addicts can swap old, contaminated syringes for clean, new ones — are handing out 54,000 needles a month in five Ohio cities, including Columbus, a new report shows. While still a flash point for critics who say needle exchanges enable drug users to keep using, the programs are contributing to public health by offering other services, including testing for HIV and hepatitis C, overdose prevention, and drug treatment, the report said.