James Lane has a backpack full of syringes slung across his shoulder as he goes to exchange used needles for sterile ones at a small booth set up by an Atlanta needle exchange clinic. The clinic, which operates in an area known as a hot spot for drug use in Atlanta, collects and distributes syringes. It’s among just a few of its kind operating publicly in Georgia and a godsend to Lane, who says he turned to heroin and cocaine to self-medicate for post-traumatic stress.
“It’s not the right answer. I know that. But right now I’m able to sustain my life,” he said. He said he also exchanges needles on behalf of five friends who are embarrassed to show up in person.
Such clinics may become more widespread in Georgia after Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill into law Tuesday legalizing needle exchanges. While opponents have historically criticized needle exchange programs as condoning drug use, many experts disagree, saying these initiatives help contain the spread of HIV and other infectious diseases that sometimes linger in used syringes.
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