Yale University is planning to take over the city of New Haven's drug needle exchange program, which was among the first in the country and became a national model for reducing HIV transmission.

Yale is considering a contract with the Connecticut Department of Public Health to take over the program, which began in November 1990 and ended Dec. 31. It's not clear when the Ivy League school will decide on the proposal.

But drug users in New Haven will continue to have access to clean syringes through the community health care van that has been operated by Yale's School of Medicine since 1993.

City officials ended the program for several reasons, including expected new mandates by the state for needle exchanges to offer more services including health care and counseling.