SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – The county Board of Supervisors Tuesday voted 3-2 in favor of developing a needle exchange program, nullifying a 1997 board decision. Reversing the county’s 23-year-old ban, the program will create a new strategy focusing on harm reduction to prevent overdoses and the spread of infectious diseases, officials said. Supervisors directed the chief administrative officer to present a comprehensive plan, known as the County Substance Use Harm Reduction Strategy, within 90 days. Advocates say needle exchange programs reduce both HIV and Hepatitis C transmission. Board Chairman Nathan Fletcher said when it comes to changing the policy “the evidence could not be more clear, and the time is now.”