Programs that give drug users clean needles in exchange for used ones would become legal in Georgia, under a proposal that cleared a Senate committee.
The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services unanimously approved the bill, sending it to the full Senate. The measure has already cleared the state House.
Republican Rep. Houston Gaines of Athens, the bill's author, said the proposal will "save lives and money."
“We’re very excited that house bill 2017 has cleared committee. This bill is really going to move our state forward in a big way,”Gaines said. “It’s going to help us chip away at the opioid crisis, help us reduce the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C in our state, it will protect first responders from needle stick injuries and it’s going to save all Georgians healthcare costs.”
At least 29 states, including Georgia, have no laws authorizing needle exchange programs. Nineteen states have laws explicitly allowing these programs to operate.
“So we’re really excited about the bill moving forward. There’s still more we have to do, we got to get through the whole Senate and then onto Governor Kemp’s desk,” Gaines said. “We got a few legislative days to move forward. I’m optimistic, but certainly there’s more work to do.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the estimated lifetime cost of treating one HIV patient is more than $400,000. The CDC also notes that people who inject drugs are five times as likely to enter substance abuse treatment if they use a needle exchange program.
