The Northern Kentucky Health Department is in the final approval stage for a planned .It's been in the works for more than a year. What's left is for Newport to sign off on the proposed location inside the Campbell County Health Center.
Director of Clinical Services Jennifer Hunter says the needle exchange is part of a comprehensive approach to treating addiction.
"Whether they need vaccination, pregnancy testing... in our program we provide the naloxone saving kits and the education on how to use it," Hunter says. "The biggest long-term goal is to get them into treatment."
The health department says having a physical location rather than a mobile unit means it can offer more services at a lower cost. It already has a similar program in Grant County and wants programs in Boone and Kenton counties.
The open house is Thursday night at the Campbell County Health Center from 5:30 to 7:30.
