What happens at a Needle Exchange Program?
The main function of a NEP is to make new sterile needles and syringes accessible and to provide drug users with access to other injection equipment (like sterile water, alcohol swabs, filters) for the safe injection/inhalation of drugs. The rationale for providing clean sterile needles reduces unsafe injection practices like needle sharing, reduces transmission of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis, increases safe disposal of used syringes, so that the syringes are not in the community and helps the injecting drug user in obtaining drug information, treatment, detoxification, social services, and primary health care (www.heretohelp.bc.ca). NEPs provide sterile water, alcohol swabs and sterile filters in order to reduce the health risks to the injector like abscesses and infections, which can be costly to heal if the individual ends up in the emergency department with an illness that could have been prevented by having access to clean sterile equipment. By providing the needed equipment for safe i
