By Charles Boothe, Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — A new law related to the needle exchange programs in West Virginia may cause repercussions in the spread of hepatitis C.
Roger Topping, administrator of the Mercer County Health Department, has always been opposed to the bill and expressed his disappointment with legislators who voted for it once again Wednesday at the county Board of Health meeting.
Citing a rise in hep C cases, he said hindering needle exchange programs with unnecessary state regulations will result in more needle sharing and more cases.
“Every (high-ranking) health official in the state testified that it was not good for the citizens of the state and they ignored it and passed it anyway,” Topping said of Senate Bill 334, which included a myriad of “harm reduction” rules, including providing license application requirements and process; establishing program requirements; providing procedure for revocation or limitation of the syringe services programs and requiring a syringe services program to coordinate with health care providers…
