The needle exchange program bill passed nearly a year ago by the New Jersey state legislature has borne its first fruit. A needle exchange program operated by the South Jersey AIDS Alliance in Atlantic City began operations Tuesday.

[inline:nline.gif align=left caption="popular syringe exchange logo"]Under the New Jersey law, up to a half-dozen municipalities can apply to operate needle exchange programs. Atlantic City has long clamored for such a program and is the first off the mark, but preparations for similar programs are underway in Camden, Newark, and Paterson.

Needle exchange programs are a proven means of reducing the spread of blood-borne diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C.

According to a report from the Drug Policy Alliance's New Jersey head Roseanne Scotti, who was instrumental in guiding the legislation to passage, 20 people registered for the Atlantic City program on its first day of operation. The program runs out of the South Jersey AIDS Alliance drop-in center and is currently limited to four hours a day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The city plans to take the exchange program mobile, but it still working on gathering the money to pay for a van.