INDIANAPOLIS — Former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill criticized the state’s syringe exchange program during a recent podcast interview, arguing that the initiative fails to curb drug overdoses and sends the wrong message about illegal drug use as lawmakers consider extending the program for another decade.
Hill made the comments while appearing on a podcast hosted by Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, as Republican Sen. Michael Crider has introduced legislation that would extend Indiana’s syringe exchange program through 2036.
The program, first launched under former Gov. Mike Pence during a southern Indiana HIV outbreak, lets local health departments give clean needles to people who inject drugs to help prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis C…