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Mercer County commissioner fears increase of disease spread based on discontinuation of needle exchange program.

PRINCETON, W.Va. — Mercer County Commissioner Greg Puckett says he has no doubts that there will be an increase of Hepatitis C and HIV cases in his county because of the local health department ending its needle exchange program.

Puckett, on a recent appearance on MetroNews ‘Talkline,’ said that the Mercer County Health Department’s program was voted on to be discontinued by the board of health last week, citing new state regulations that ‘make it too restrictive.’

Mercer County Commissioner Greg Puckett

Puckett cited Senate Bill 334, a bill passed in the most recent legislative session that establishes the license application process for needle exchange programs. He said the bill tightens the law up to where a person can’t have the relationship needed with someone in active addiction to help them.

“It really tightens it up to where you don’t have the relationship that you need with someone in active addiction to try and get them in a possible recovery option to help them overcome what they are dealing with,” Puckett said.

The Bluefield Daily Telegraph reported that Health Department Administrator Roger Topping showed board members the list of nearly 50 requirements to be approved for a harm reduction program that includes needle exchange and simply said they could not comply.

MetroNews has previously reported that programs would need to provide a written statement of support by a majority of the county commission and by a majority of the council in a municipality where the program would be located.

The new law would also require programs that offer syringe services to offer or provide references to HIV, hepatitis and sexually transmitted disease screening, vaccinations, birth control, behavioral health services, overdose prevention, syringe collection and more.

Puckett said having a program helps stop the communicable spread of HIV and Hep-C in a community. He cited that the CDC has 220 counties in the United States that have potential outbreak territories, and West Virginia totals 10% of them.

“If you don’t have these programs in place, you cannot effectively stop the spread when you’re having dirty needles and using. Because we have a society of addiction. You have to be able to help stop, mitigate the problems so then you can help stop the addiction,” Puckett said.

The new law has gathered much controversy, with a federal judge coming out in July saying he could no longer halt the law from going into effect. U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers issued an order July 15 dissolving a temporary restraining order and denying a request for a preliminary injunction.

Puckett had a message for many in favor of the legislation, who he said view needle exchange programs that enable.

“A program is allowing that contact with somebody who can guide them into active treatment and recovery options,” he said. “To really help overcome that mental health issue and reduce the amount of stigma. To get somebody to come in and be able to say ‘Look I have a problem, I have an addiction. This is what I have, help me through this.’ And maybe over the course of time, you can do that.”





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