San Diego's clean needle exchange program has been in limbo since July, when the city council failed to re-authorize it. But a change in state law could put the disease prevention and addiction recovery program back in business. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has the story.
To operate a syringe exchange, cities and counties used to have to declare a health emergency every three weeks. But under a new law, local governments must simply notify state health officials of their intentions to run such a program.
Dr. Jim Dunford is the city of San Diego's director of Emergency Medical Services. He says it's time to get the clean needle exchange up and running again.
Dunford: "When the city council's fully reconstituted, we would like to bring forward a resolution basically saying that we have now met all the criteria that the new state law requires, and that we'd like to see the program back up and fully operational."
Dunford says the fate of the needle exchange depends on who wins the two open city council seats in next Tuesday's special election. Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.
