GLASGOW – After a presentation Tuesday from Barren River District Health Department representatives at a Barren County Fiscal Court meeting, Judge-Executive Micheal Hale asked District 1 Magistrate John Benningfield to look into the possibility of opening a needle exchange program in the county.

Dennis Chaney, director of the health department, said a needle exchange would allow people who use intravenous drugs to trade dirty needles for clean ones in an effort to keep infected needles off the streets and thereby reduce the risk of spreading infections like HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

“Putting clean needles into the hands of those folks, you may think, ‘Well, gosh, that doesn’t seem right. We would be aiding and abetting those individuals with their particular challenge,’ ” Chaney said. “What the clean needles (do) and what the education does, it reminds them of their need to not share needles.”

Srihari Seshadri, senior epidemiologist at the health department, said needle exchange programs reduce the spread of infections among drug users and don’t cause increases in crime or drug use.

“The U.S. surgeon general mentioned that the syringe exchange programs are widely considered to be an effective way of reducing HIV transmission,” he said.

Seshadri said there were 27 documented drug overdose deaths in Barren County between 2011 and 2015 and, as of June 30, 2016, the county has 43 known HIV diagnoses.

Chaney said the program would allow drug users to get tested for infections and makes participants aware of resources in the community that could help them overcome their addictions.

Under state law, Chaney said, a needle exchange must be approved by the health department’s board of health, the county government and the government of the city where the program would be located.

He said the board of health approved setting up a needle exchange program unanimously.

The only county in the health department’s 10-county service area with a needle exchange is Warren County, Chaney said.

Hale asked Benningfield, who heads the county’s administrative committee, to research other needle exchange programs in the state with the committee and representatives from the local drug task force, the Barren County Sheriff’s Office and the Glasgow Police Department.

Hale asked Benningfield to share what the administrative committee learned at the next fiscal court meeting, which is scheduled Dec. 12, or at the January meeting.

Benningfield said he didn’t know enough about needle exchange programs to comment on the idea of opening one in Barren County.

“I understand the concept that unfortunately people that are addicted to drugs are going to use them whether they have a clean needle or a dirty needle, but I also want to get with our drug task force and our officers on (whether) do they see any issues with that, does it encourage drug use or anything like that,” he said.

Meanwhile, fiscal court approved a measure to rebid a project to replace the Wyndemere Bridge east of Glasgow.

District 2 Magistrate Trent Riddle, who chairs the county’s transportation committee, said the scope of work has changed since the project was originally put to bid.

“The state inspector had told us that, in the beginning I think that the center pier needed to be removed … and then he told us that maybe it did not need to be removed,” he said.

Fiscal court also approved a measure to contract with an engineering or consulting firm to test the abutments and central support beam that hold the bridge’s weight.

Riddle said that while he thinks the abutments and support beam look solid, he doesn’t know if they are.

“We don’t know for sure that they’re good,” he said. “I feel like they are, but I’m just not comfortable with spending $80,000 or $90,000 on this bridge until I know for sure that the main support system for this bridge is still good to go.”

When Hale asked about the cost of contracting with a firm, Riddle said the cost should be “considerably under $20,000.”

Riddle said there is no timetable for the bridge project.

– Follow Daily News reporter Jackson French on Twitter @Jackson_French or visit bgdailynews.com.