The increase in recreational drug use has led city officials to act on ensuring the proper disposal of syringes.

Officials at Evergreen Health Services, located at 408 W. Fifth St., Jamestown, are spearheading the charge to expand its syringe exchange program into Jamestown. As of now, the only syringe exchange program – known as Project S.A.F.E – in Western New York is the one Evergreen operates in Buffalo.

However, with Chautauqua County receiving the designation as a high-intensity drug-trafficking area, Evergreen – with the support of city and county officials – would like to operate a syringe-exchange program in Jamestown. This new initiative is designed to be operated in partnership with a number of other human service agencies and would be housed with the Mental Health Association In Chautauqua County at the Gateway Center, located at 31 Water St., Suite 7, Jamestown.

Kimberly Lombard, Evergreen Health Services senior director of grant management and quality, said they have applied for state grant money to hire staff to run the syringe exchange program. Lombard said she doesn’t know how much money they will receive so they don’t know how many people they will be able to hire to run the program. She hopes for at least enough to have one person operating the program, with assistance from the staff at the Mental Health Association. She said Evergreen officials are already working closely with their staff.

”We’re hoping for more,” she said about being able to hire more than one person to operate the program.

The syringe exchange program provides a one-to-one exchange of used syringes for clean ones to individuals who inject any substance including insulin, steroids, heroin, cocaine or other street drugs. The program allows for the safe disposal of used syringes and access to harm-reduction supplies like cotton, caps and alcohol wipes; overdose-prevention training; counseling; and a variety of safety and recovery workshops.

Participants in the program will register and be given an anonymous card to identify themselves. They will bring in used syringes during exchange hours and will receive an equal number of clean syringes. This provides incentive to bring in all used syringes, reducing dirty needles in the community.

One of the goals of the program is to reduce the transference of blood-borne illness between IV drug users, including HIV and Hepatitis C. A second goal is to link people to treatment when they are ready for it, Lombard said. The third goal is to keep used syringes off the streets.

Harry Snellings, Jamestown public safety director and police chief, said syringes have been found in alleyways and stairwells in the city.

”No. 1, we support a central point for the exchange of needles,” Snellings said. ”Needles being disposed of properly in the city is one of my main concerns.”

Snellings said the education and treatment components are important steps in the program.

”There are several working pieces to it. It’s not just someone coming in and getting needles,” he said.

Snellings said the syringe-exchange program is not going to stop the use of drugs in the city. However, he said it is part of the treatment needed for addicts.

”Treatment, as it has been noted, is lacking in the county,” he said. ”We’ve said it hundreds of times, regardless of how you feel about (drugs), (drugs are) here.”

Lombard said because of the designation as a high-intensity drug-trafficking area, she thinks the state will approve the expansion of the program into Jamestown. She doesn’t know when it will be approved. She hopes it will be operational by summertime.

”It is one piece in the continuum of what you do. One piece of many that is needed,” she said.

Sam Teresi, Jamestown mayor, said he supports Evergreen’s interest in expanding its syringe-exchange program into Jamestown. He added it is a worthwhile component to go along with law enforcement.

”Such programs operating elsewhere … have proven track records of working,” he said.

For more information, visit www.evergreenhs.org/southerntier.