Needle exchanges are not particularly common in Massachusetts. In 1993, legislation made the programs legal, and Boston and Cambridge soon became home to the first two.
Soon after, Northampton opened one, followed by the Cape Cod region. Holyoke’s needle exchange has recently been shuttered due to procedural problems in its original establishment.
Worcester is also currently considering opening a program.
The legislation that made them legal limits the state to only 10.
The average cost to run a program is between $85,000 and $257,000, based on the estimates from the Holyoke and Northampton programs, according to state Department of Public Health.