KFDA - NewsChannel 10 / Amarillo, TX: newschannel10.comNeedle-exchange program passes Texas Senate committee
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Associated Press - March 3, 2009 6:25 PM ET
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Legislation to protect needle-exchange programs operated by local health departments has been approved today by a legislative panel.
The Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee sent the plan to the full Senate.
The proposal would prevent prosecution of state-sanctioned health programs that allow intravenous drug users to trade dirty syringes -- for clean ones.
The bill was introducted by Sen. Robert Deuell, who's a physician from Greenville.
Retired Bexar (BAYR) County Constable Jimmy Wilborn testified that the plan would lower the chances of police officers contracting disease from contaminated syringes.
The Texas Department of State Health Services predicts 100 new cases of HIV could be prevented in the first year of implementing a needle-exchange program.
Texas is the only state that doesn't allow syringe exchange programs.
The needle-exchange bill is SB188.
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