A needle exchange program in Asheville has been running out of supplies on a monthly basis for over a year. That's according to Michael Harney, co-founder of the Needle Exchange Program of Asheville. Harney says the group goes through about 60,000 needles a month but can't keep up with the demand for clean needles. The program operated for years before the exchanges were legalized as a way to ensure those addicted to drugs don't share needles and spread blood-borne diseases like HIV and Hepatitis B and C, which are on the rise in North Carolina.
Harney spoke with BPR's Jeremy Loeb during a recent meeting with North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, who's made battling the opioid crisi one of his top priorities. That full interview is above.
