MADISON COUNTY, Ind. – A controversial needle exchange program is said to be “illegal” by the Madison County prosecutor.
Madison County’s prosecutor Rodney Cummings said he disagrees with the health department’s needle exchange program as it gives addicts access to tools that assist them in the overdose process.
The program distributes tourniquets, cookers and saline.
"That's illegal anyone else who does that if you are standing on the corner passing out drug paraphernalia that you know is going to be used to inject heroin into the body…anybody else gets arrested for that,” he said.
Cummings said Madison County is second to Marion County in the number of overdose deaths in the state, but the person who operates the program believes it's not because of the tool distribution.
"People were overdosing before we had this program,” said Madison County Public Health Coordinator Stephanie Grimes. “People are going to overdose if the program goes away. I don't think this program is promoting overdose by any means."
One woman who asked to remain anonymous, said the tools distributed through the program prevents her from contracting HIV or Hepatitis C.
"I don't wish this on anyone, but if you are doing it to have the clean ones is really important. It really is,” she said.
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