MORGANTOWN – The Milan Puskar Health Right’s harm reduction program, known as LIGHT (Living in Good Health Together), recently marked its 10-year anniversary. Between October 2024 and September 2025, the program distributed an impressive 235,435 syringes while collecting 206,437 used needles, achieving an exchange rate of nearly 88%. This figure aligns closely with the program’s target of maintaining an 85% to 90% return rate.
During the past year, LIGHT accommodated 1,457 total visits from 594 unique visitors, which included 195 new intakes from various counties: Monongalia (110), Marion (28), Preston (26), and Harrison (19). These numbers reflect a significant increase from the previous year, when 186,580 syringes were distributed with a 79% return rate among 545 unique visitors across 1,364 visits.
In a recent update to the Morgantown City Council, Executive Director Laura Jones discussed the program’s progress and requested a letter of support for its continuation. Such letters have become mandatory for needle exchange programs following the passage of SB334 by the West Virginia Legislature in 2021. This legislation requires proof of residency for participants and enforces a one-to-one exchange of used syringes for new ones while also mandating additional harm reduction services.
The LIGHT program has distributed over 900 wound care kits and offers weekly assistance from a nurse practitioner for wound care and other medical issues. It also provides testing for bloodborne illnesses, including Hepatitis C and HIV. “We just recently tested approximately 25 people for Hepatitis C, and five of them were positive,” Jones noted. She emphasized the importance of these screenings, adding, “As far as we are aware, Morgantown and Mon County have not yet had an HIV case related to IV drug use.”
While treatment is encouraged, Jones stressed the importance of not pressuring participants into treatment programs. Over the past year, 184 new intakes had previously been in treatment, illustrating the complex nature of recovery. “We know treatment is not a one-and-done process. It often takes many attempts before individuals find success,” she explained. “Our goal as a harm reduction program is not necessarily to force people into treatment. We want to empower them to make that decision themselves.”
The program has also contributed to a notable decrease in local overdoses since 2021. Although multiple factors contribute to this decline, the distribution of over 3,000 doses of Narcan (Naloxone) within the past year has likely played a pivotal role. Health Right has gained recognition as a national leader in the distribution of this life-saving drug, having previously provided more than 22,000 doses in just two years.
Jones informed the council that their approved letter of support will apply to both Health Right’s current location on Spruce Street and its future site at 10 Scott Avenue. The final step before the relocation is obtaining a visit and behavioral health center license from the Office of Health Facilities Licensure. “We can’t see anyone in that facility until we are licensed,” Jones explained, noting that Health Right submitted its application in late October. “I hope that their visit will happen sometime in early December.”
As the LIGHT program celebrates this significant milestone, it continues to focus on providing essential services to the community, highlighting the impact of harm reduction strategies in improving public health and safety.
