Successful needle exchange program in Albany, NY run by local Catholic Charities

The first year operation of a needle exchange program in Albany, New York has met with great success. The local program, Project Safe Point, is an AIDS services project of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany. In an article in The Albany Times Union, profiling the success of the program, Angela Keller, executive director of Catholic Charities' AIDS Services reports:

"This is a health problem that's not going to go away and we've learned in our first year that it's a greatly needed service."

"We help people who are ready to take the steps of not using drugs anymore," Keller said. "They come to us when they've decided they're tired of living that way and want to get help."

Project Safe Point collected over 8,500 used syringes and referred 13% of its clients to drug treatment in its first year of operation.

Kudos Project Safe Point!

Read more here: Program shows a need for needle exchanges