Evergreen Health Services’ syringe-exchange program has started in Jamestown.

Kimberly Lombard, Evergreen Health Services senior director of grants management and quality, said the program stared in the city last week. The syringe-exchange program – known as Project S.A.F.E. – received state approval in March to expand into Jamestown. Previously, the only syringe-exchange program in Western New York was the one Evergreen operates in Buffalo.

”We just opened and we’re happy to provide the service that is clearly needed,” she said. ”Exchanges and Narcan training is available.”

Earlier this year, Evergreen – with the support of city and county officials – applied to the state Health Department to expand its syringe-exchange program into Jamestown. The new initiative is designed to be operated in partnership with a number of other human-service agencies and is housed with the Mental Health Association In Chautauqua County at the Gateway Center, located at 31 Water St., Suite 7, Jamestown. The syringe-exchange program is available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. People should visit the Mental Health Association at the Gateway Center to sign up for the program, Lombard said.

”If anyone is aware of someone struggling with drug use they can refer them,” she said. ”The exchange is for anyone who doesn’t have access to clean needles, including people using insulin.”

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. The third goal is to keep used syringes off the streets.

For more information, visit www.evergreenhs.org/southerntier. Anyone who wants information or wants to link someone to the syringe-exchange program should call 664-7855.