Douglas Nelson began to turn his life around in March with the help of a needle exchange pilot program that, until recently, operated out of the Fresno County Health Department building.
The 26-year-old Fresno father had become addicted to Xanax to treat his seizures and was in desperate need of help. This spring, he was welcomed by Dr. Marc Lasher of the San Joaquin Valley Free Medical Clinic and Needle Exchange, where he received medical assistance to manage his withdrawal symptoms. .
“I couldn’t get off benzos by myself without having a seizure or without properly tapering off. I was taking 6 to 12 milligrams of benzos a day at the time,” he said. “I get in there and he takes me off Xanax and puts me on a much milder benzo called clonazepam.”…