Palm Beach County needle exchange reduces overall syringe count by nearly 8,000

Over the past year, Palm Beach County's only needle exchange program served over 250 clients and reduced the overall syringe count by nearly 7,800.

It’s all part of the ongoing effort to reduce opioid drug abuse, said Austin Wright, Director of Syringe & Harm Reduction Services at Rebel Recovery Florida.

Younger users between 20 and 30 years old are engaging in longer-term recovery services than previous years. And it’s proving effective.

"A lot of them aren’t here anymore. While some of them achieve recovery, a lot of them are dead," Wright said. "I would say that less people are dying now. That's the biggest change that I’m seeing."

Rebel Recovery Florida has operated the FLASH Exchange program since April 2021 — the mobile service has rotated locations in West Palm Beach and its surrounding areas.

During the reporting period, July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, the FLASH Exchange program served more than 250 clients, collected more than 93,700 used syringes, and distributed more than 85,000 clean syringes, resulting in a net decrease of nearly 8,000 syringes.

READ MORE: How Miami's syringe exchange program plans to grow

More than 1,200 cases of Narcan were also distributed, leading to 455 overdose reversals.
 
Exchanging for sterile, unused needles helps reduce transmission of infectious diseases. Rebel Recovery has also expanded its HIV and Hepatitis C virus testing services.

This is a News In Brief report. Visit WLRN News for in-depth reporting from South Florida and Florida news.