Attorney General Curtis Hill Shares Concerns Regarding Legislation To Expand Statewide Needle “Exchange”

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill today addressed concerns regarding House Bill 1438, a proposal that would allow cities and counties to enact their own needle exchange programs even in the absence of health epidemics or emergencies.

Currently, only counties possess the ability to call for needle exchange programs – and only in the event of health emergencies such as Hepatitis-C, or HIV outbreaks. The proposed bill would eliminate the requirement that exchange programs only be initiated in response to health emergencies. House Bill 1438 would allow any county or city the authority to start needle exchange programs without definable health emergencies as justification.

Attorney General Curtis Hill made this statement following his testimony this afternoon:

“The current needle exchange program may be well intended, but it has evolved into a needle give-away, ultimately contributing to more syringes being passed around and shared in our communities. House Bill 1438 will simply allow more communities to pass out needles, and do so without justifiable cause. This bill is a detriment to our efforts to get victims of drug abuse the treatment they need, as it will only serve to further trap them in the vicious cycle of opioid addiction. We need to help our fellow Hoosiers who are caught in that cycle, but we need to do so in a way that is conducive to placing them in rehabilitation facilities where they can get the treatment they need in order to overcome the greatest battle of their lives,” Hill said.

Hill assured the Public Health Committee that his office is willing to work with them towards a more comprehensive solution aimed at solving the State’s heroin problem.

“I don’t want another Hoosier to die from their addiction – especially with a needle provided by the State of Indiana.”