An effort to expand a needle-exchange program statewide was scrapped Tuesday by a House health care committee, which agreed to extend the Miami-Dade County program to two additional Southeast Florida counties.
“In the spirit of baby steps, I encourage you to support this,” Rep. Cary Pigman, R-Avon Park, told members of the House Health & Human Services Committee.
The bill (HB 579) initially called for expanding statewide a pilot needle-exchange program run by the University of Miami in Miami Dade County. The initial version of the bill also would have changed current law to authorize any hospital, clinic, substance abuse program or medical school to operate a program where free, clean unused needles and hypodermic syringes could be swapped for used needles and hypodermic syringes. Backers of such exchange programs say they prevent the transmission of HIV, AIDS, viral hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases among intravenous drug users.…
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