Parts of this article (those related to Legal Aspects) need to be updated.(July 2013) |
Needle and syringe programmes | |
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Other names | Syringe-exchange programme (SEP), needle exchange program (NEP) |
A needle and syringe programme (NSP), also known as needle exchange program (NEP), is a social service that allows injection drug users (IDUs) to obtain clean and unused hypodermic needles and associated paraphernalia at little or no cost. It is based on the philosophy of harm reduction that attempts to reduce the risk factors for blood-borne diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.