MADISON COUNTY, Ind. – As President Trump decided to delay declaring an opioid crisis Tuesday, Madison County officials voted to end their needle exchange program.
In a 5-2 vote, the Madison County Council decided to immediately end the program that offers services to 550 participants.
The Madison County Commission voted recently to keep the program, but the Madison County Council, who has authority over finances, made the final call.
The needle exchange program, started by the county health department in 2015, provided IV drug users with clean syringes while collecting used needles in hopes of reducing the spread of diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C. Currently, eight Indiana counties participate in the program.
In June, the County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings said the program was “illegal” and gave addicts access to tools that assist them in the overdose process.
Last week, the White House opioid commission recommended Trump declare a national emergency, as an average of 142 Americans die from drug overdose each day, according to The Washington Post.
“Best way to prevent drug addiction and overdose is to prevent people from abusing drugs in the first place. If they don’t start, they won’t have a problem. If they do start, it’s awfully tough to get off,” Trump told reporters, according to The Washington Post. “So, if we can keep them from going on — and maybe by talking to youth and telling them: ‘No good, really bad for you in every way.’ But if they don’t start, it will never be a problem.”
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