 According to the Center for Disease Control, Kentucky now leads the nation in the number of acute hepatitis C cases by more than six times the national average. The Floyd County Health Department has been combating the issue through their needle exchange program. The program has seen positive results since opening its doors in January. As of today, we have had 87 visits with 3,358 syringes distributed with a returning 1,838. That's 3,358 times that there's a less risk of the spread of HIV and hepatitis C. I would like to see more numbers. There's a lot of skepticism with the needle exchange program. A lot of the participants came scared. They thought that it was a setup. The purpose is to prevent the spread of hepatitis C and HIV. As other counties from around the region are seeing positive results from their needle exchange programs, the Johnson County Health Department is looking to follow suit as they too see a need for such a program. We have seen an increase in dirty needles in the parks and playgrounds and on the streets and the community is starting to get involved, starting to take notice. They're very concerned and they know that the health departments are able to address these needs. So if we can get them in here, get them to exchange those clean needles, we can also get them into treatment and try to get them clean. We can do HIV testing. We can also do STD testing. We can do pregnancy testing for women. For more information on the Floyd County Needle Exchange program, simply call the Floyd County Health Department at the number listed on your screen. Reporting from Prestonsburg and Painesville, I'm Sean Allen for EKB News.