FEDERAL BAN HAMPERS CITY'S ABILITY TO FIGHT HIV

Re: "District of Columbia tries to improve HIV/AIDS initiatives," Feb. 4

The District of Columbia's efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS
are hampered by the federal government's asinine needle exchange ban.
Needle exchanges have been proven to reduce the spread of HIV without
increasing drug use. They also serve as a bridge to drug treatment
for an especially hard-to-reach population.

Drug users are not the only beneficiaries. U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention researchers estimate that 57 percent of AIDS
cases among women, and 36 percent of overall AIDS cases in the U.S.,
are linked to injection drug use or sex with partners who inject
drugs. This easily preventable public health crisis is a direct
result of zero tolerance laws that restrict access to clean syringes.

Organizations that support syringe access include the American
Medical Association, the American Public Health Association, the
National Academy of Sciences, and the American Bar Association.

In the interest of containing the HIV epidemic, let's hope Congress
acknowledges the drug war's tremendous collateral damage sooner
rather than later.

Robert Sharpe

Policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy