WINFIELD - The Great Rivers Harm Reduction Coalition is continuing to grow.
The newly formed coalition consists of officials from harm reduction clinics in Kanawha and Cabell counties, which, among other things, offer intravenous drug users clean needles in exchange for their dirty ones.
Dr. Michael Brumage, the executive health director/health officer for Kanawha and Putnam counties, said nearly 3,600 people have visited the harm reduction clinic in Kanawha County - 77 of which are from Putnam County.
"In two years, we have grown to the size of the city of Baltimore's has in 20 years," Brumage said during a Putnam County Board of Health meeting Tuesday "Rather than compete with Cabell Huntington [Hospital] and other counties around the state, what we've heard is that people want us to band together."
Brumage said health department officials were not sure how many Putnam County residents have visited the clinic in Cabell County.
Harm reduction officials, law enforcement and EMS officials from Kanawha, Putnam and Cabell counties gather together each month to discuss the opioid epidemic in the region.
Brumage said the coalition has received several grants and is continuing to grow.
Cindy Farley, chairwoman of the board, said law enforcement, EMS and other agencies will meet in September for an educational opportunity to learn about harm reduction.
"It's not just a needle exchange, it's a true way to educate folks and help people that are drug addicted to find services," she said. "I feel like this is a project I would like to see [the board] support."
Also at the meeting Tina Ramirez of the Division of Prevention and Wellness announced a substance abuse town hall meeting.
The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Aug. 31 at Wilkinson Memorial United Methodist Church in Hometown.
Several representatives from the community - including law enforcement, EMS and health department officials - will serve as panelists at the town hall, she said.
Stephanie DeWees, with the Division of Clinic Services, told the board that the health department provided back to school immunizations to nearly 200 Putnam County students this year.
Stan Mills, of the Division of Environmental Services, told board members that even though a mosquito pool in Putnam County tested positive for the West Nile virus, it's "not unusual."
"West Nile is not a disease of humans, it's a disease of birds," he said. "Ninety-seven or 98 percent of people never even knew they had it."
Mills told the board that deaths from the West Nile virus have only occurred in those who are 70 and older.
The next Putnam County Board of Health meeting will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 24.
Reach Carlee Lammers at Carlee.Lammers@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1230 or follow @CarleeLammers on Twitter.