Since it opened, the Anonymous Needle Exchange and Harm Reduction Program in the Warren County Health Department has served more than 100 people and taken more than 3,000 dirty needles off the streets.

Dennis Chaney, district director of the Barren River District Health Department, delivered the news to Warren County Fiscal Court last week.

The exchange, which originally opened Aug. 25, is an effort to help intravenous drug users reduce their use and to combat the spread of bloodborne diseases through the sharing of contaminated needles, Chaney said.

“People who use drugs and participate in needle exchange programs are five times more likely to recover than those who don’t,” he said to the fiscal court. “So this program is not just about getting dirty needles off the street and clean needles into the hands of those users.”

Last July, the Daily News reported that the program’s objectives are to get potentially infected needles off the streets, educate users about the dangers of sharing needles and educate them on area resources to get tested and help them fight addiction.

So far, 112 people have come to the program to exchange needles, according to data from Chaney’s office.

Additionally, 3,663 dirty needles have been taken in and properly disposed of, and 4,176 clean needles have been given to participants since August.

Because there was no available data to suggest what sort of traffic to expect, Chaney said he was unsure how many people would be exchanging needles when the program started.

“We absolutely had no idea what the traffic would be,” he said.

Currently, the needle exchange is held every Thursday from noon to 4 p.m. The days and hours of operation could change though based on the community’s needs, Chaney said.

“If demand were to indicate that we need to be open on a different time on a different day, we’d do that,” he said.

The exchange also provides participants the opportunity to get tested for HIV and Hepatitis B and C, the three infections the program is mainly aimed at combatting, and learn about area resources to help them fight addiction, he said.

So far, a few people have told the Warren County Health Department that they have decreased their drug use or quit using altogether, Chaney announced to the fiscal court.

“Most importantly, what I’m most excited to share with you is that three clients who are currently participating in the program have reported that they have either quit or greatly reduced their drug use,” he said to the court.

Via text, Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon said the district health department’s staff is dedicated and that the community is lucky to have them.

“They all care about the community and the people that they serve, and it shows,” he said.

Buchanon also said he’s happy about the progress the program has made.

“I believe this program can change lives for some percentage … of those participating. And it may very well save lives,” he said.