 In what officials at the Pike County Health Department anticipated would take a year to get approved, a needle exchange program is ready to open in Pike County. In two weeks we were able to get the approval of the city commissioners and the county judges. We are pretty much ready to start the program on July 5, which is the day after Independence Day is going to be open from 9 to 10 in the far department here in Claude Road. In general, the community is behind this program. Once the statistical evidence about hepatitis C in our region was presented to county and city officials, the need for such a program in our area was undeniable. Eastern Kentucky and Kentucky, Southwest Virginia and Southern West Virginia has the most cases of hepatitis in the United States. You look at it on a map, it's very embarrassing and we've got to do something about it. We've got to take care of our people here in Pike County and Eastern Kentucky. Now, people say if you give people needles, they're going to use more. Well, the statistics show California, all these other states that have needle exchange programs, they have no hepatitis C running around anywhere, so it's very vital and important. Although the needle exchange program will be the greatest weapon in the fight against the spreading of hepatitis C, another will be educating people, both addicts and non-addicts alike. New syringes will not be the only thing offered at the facility. Up in the form of referrals for various services at Mountain Comprehensive Care Center will be available to those who ask for it. Reporting from Pikeville for EKB News, I'm Shawn Allen.