show their commitment to improving public health and assisting residents who are struggling with substance use disorders, such as representatives of the Miami-Dade County.
Two years ago, the county established a pilot needle exchange program after data revealed that, also in 2016, Florida had recorded almost 6,000 new cases of people diagnosed with HIV.
The needle exchange program, which has its main site at the University of Miami, has been showing signs of success and now there are chances for the same program to be expanded to other parts of the state.
Member of the Florida House of Representatives, Rene ‘Coach P.’ Plasencia, who has been sponsoring a bill to expand the needle-exchange program, explained that if the expansion will address the opioid epidemic in Florida but also the “increase of HIV infections that we’re seeing all over.”
Advocates and legislators from both Palm Beach County and Tampa have already announced that they will push to get similar programs in their areas.
Author: Livia Areas-Holmblad
Livia Holmblad is an editor at Addiction Now and covers breaking news, features and everything in between. She moved to SoCal after living in NYC for about 10 years, where she worked for VICE and SinoVision as a writer, editor, host, producer, and director. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro. Contact Livia at liviah@addictionnow.com
