Pubdate: Tue, 08 Oct 2002
Source: Buffalo News (NY)
Copyright: 2002 The Buffalo News
Contact:  http://www.buffalonews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/61
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1818/a10.html

NEEDLE EXCHANGE PLANS REDUCE SPREAD OF HIV

Kudos to The News for its excellent Sept. 22 editorial on the Project Reach 
needle exchange program. According to the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, 57 percent of AIDS cases among women are linked to injection 
drug use or sex with partners who inject drugs. Overall, 36 percent of AIDS 
cases in the United States can be traced back to intravenous drug use. This 
easily preventable public health crisis is a direct result of 
zero-tolerance policies that restrict access to clean syringes. In the 
interest of containing the HIV epidemic, let's hope America's 
tough-on-drugs politicians acknowledge the drug war's tremendous collateral 
damage sooner rather than later. Drug abuse is bad, but the zero-tolerance 
drug war is worse.

ROBERT SHARPE

Program Officer, Drug Policy Alliance
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens