Needle exchange program in Pueblo County marks one year

than doubled across the country since 2007 — according to a report by the centers for disease control. tonight, krdo newschannel 13’s michelle san miguel follows up with a program that’s working with some of those drug users. michelle, it’s been nearly a year since a needle exchange started in pueblo. a doctor who oversees the program says since then — five drug users have entered treatment. he’s also helped get others tested for hiv and hepatis c. every friday afternoon — injection drug users bring a box of dirty needles to this crossroads facility. and they walk away with a brown bag full of clean ones. :05 these are the needles. these are standard insulin syringes. the program — funded by th southern colorado aids project — has collected more than 18 thousand needles in the last year. 3:44 this is first and foremost a harm reduction activity. trying to reduce the spread of hiv and hepatis c. we spoke with drug users — who asked us not to show their faces. they say it’s become a safe place to get needles — for free. 2:35 it’s teaching me not to use and share. drug users say injecting used needles takes a toll on their skin. 1:23 …i’ve been doing it for 30 years, my veins are really hard. the hospital can’t even hardly hit me. dr. nerenberg led the effort to start the program in pueblo after what he saw in the emergency room. 2:50 … i started seeing heroin overdoses. and so i was aware that there was a problem building out here. nerenberg knows the program has its share of critics — 1:33 we’re not enabling anything. they’re already able. they know how. they’re doing it whether you like it or not. he’s just trying to keep them healthy in the meantime. so far this year, six people have died in pueblo county from heroin. that’s the total number of people who died from heroin in all of last year. in pueblo, msm. krdo. nc13. the c-d-c’s report also shows a change in who is becoming addicted to heroin. the biggest increase is among young women. men still outnumber women… but that gap is narrowing. you can find the full survey … and the health effects of heroin on our website. just head over to krdo dot com and look under the hot button. a traffic alert for