Medicine
Needle Exchange Programs and Hepatitis C Incidence Reduction
Quick fact
Cities that expand needle exchange programs have seen hepatitis C incidence drop by as much as 50% among people who inject drugs, and these programs are often more cost-effective than treating the infections they prevent.
Why this is interesting
Imagine a health measure that works not by stopping drug use, but by breaking a chain of infection. What if providing clean needles could cut hepatitis C rates dramatically?