Tag Archives: Hepatitis C

The Bloomington Common Council chambers are uncharacteristically full tonight. Area residents filled the council chambers, in support for Monroe County’s needle exchange program, The Indiana Recovery Alliance. IRA Founder and Director Chris Abert gave a statistically saturated presentation regarding the efficacy of syringe exchange programs. “You have a higher likelihood of getting hit by a meteor during a monsoon than …

One year ago, the Lawrence County Commissioners voted to discontinue their needle exchange program. Lawrence County was the second Indiana county to discontinue needle exchanges, which service areas hit particularly hard by the ongoing opioid epidemic. Needle exchanges are typically non-governmental agencies that offer clean syringes to drug users, in an effort to reduce the transmission of diseases, like HIV …

The proposed moratorium on new addictions facilities in Bloomington city limits from Mayor John Hamilton’s office is misguided at best, according to the Indiana Recovery Alliance’s Founder and Director, Chris Abert. In this interview with WFHB News Director Wes Martin, Abert explains how the proposed policy lumps together Medically-Assisted Treatment centers with predatory for-profit addictions treatment and ‘rehab’ centers. “We don’t …

A Jeffersonville program meant to help curb Hepatitis C and HIV is being extended for the upcoming year. The program, aimed at helping decrease the use of used needles shared by infected intravenous drug users, teaches participants how to safely dispose of needles and trains them in administering anti-opioid drug overdose medication called Narcan or Naloxone. Two years ago an …

According to the Centers for Disease Control, Baby Boomers — those born between 1945 and 1965 — are five time more likely to have Hepatitis C than other populations. A chronic Hepatitis C infection can cause liver damage. In fact, the disease is the leading cause of liver cancer and liver transplants, according to the CDC. Sarah Vaughan spoke about …

The Bloomington Police Department has hired more police to patrol downtown; Governor Eric Holcomb has appointed Judge Christopher Goff to the Indiana Supreme Court; This Thursday, June 15th, will mark the 12th annual Dump the Pump Day; The City of Bloomington has accumulated $3.9 million in unspent funds. FEATURE According to the Centers for Disease Control, Baby Boomers — those …

Opioids are powerful prescription pain killers. It is easy to become addicted to them. Often, addiction leads to HIV and hepatitis C, both diseases transmitted by contaminated needles. Recently, opioid addiction in Indiana has increased sharply to what is now considered a crisis by many. Voices has gone out into the streets and asked your friends and neighbors what they …