Government health centres in the first six months of this year handed out 145,508 free syringes to drug addicts, figures given in Parliament show. The clinics also handed out 278,124 syringes in the whole of last year.
The syringes are handed out to drug addicts to discourage the sharing of needles, which can cause the spread of AIDS.
The figures show that 30,000 syringes were handed out in six months from Floriana health centre; 7,110 from Qormi centre; 42,150 from Gzira centre; 38,800 from Paola centre, 18,700 from Cospicua centre; 6,149 from Mosta centre and 2,599 from Rabat health centre.