Baltimore needle
exchange wants to expand

Although Baltimore's 11-year-old needle exchange program has helped reduce the HIV infection rate among the city's injection-drug users by 20%, exchange workers are hoping to expand its services, particularly by targeting more younger drug users, The B altimore Sun reports. The needle exchange, which operates out of two vans that stop at about a dozen sites around the city, currently has about 325 visitors per week and distributes about 6,500 syringes as well as injection-drug equipment each month. But exchange officials say only about 6% of the program's clients are under age 25 and that only about 10% of the city's injection-drug users have ever used the needle exchange. To help expand the needle exchange, particularly by targeting young drug users, the city is applying for a $25,000 Tide Foundation grant, which would pay for peer outreach and a youth-specific time for exchange services. Plans also call for the exchange vans to operate at sites other than on busy streets, where younger injection-drug users may fear being recognized. (Advocate.com)