LEGISLATURE FINALLY OKS NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

Bill Aims To Cut Down On AIDS, Hepatitis C In Wilmington

DOVER -- Intravenous drug users in Wilmington will finally be able to
get clean syringes under a pilot needle exchange program the General
Assembly passed Thursday, delighting advocates who said the measure
will reduce the spread of AIDS.

Infection from dirty needles is a leading cause of AIDS in Delaware,
which had the nation's sixth-highest AIDS rate from all causes in 2004.

Until Thursday, though, Delaware was one of two states without a
program that allows drug users to swap used needles for sterile ones
or to buy syringes in pharmacies without a prescription. The other is
New Jersey, where Gov. Jon Corzine is trying to start a program.

Thursday's passage in the House on a 23-15 vote culminated a
decade-long effort by Sen. Margaret Rose Henry, D-Wilmington East,
whose district has been ravaged by AIDS.

"It's the right thing for the people of Delaware," said Henry, who
was swarmed by supporters after the vote. "I'm very proud tonight."

Henry and the Senate had passed the bill 16-4 last year, but the
initiative was bottled up in the House by powerful foes such as
Majority Leader Wayne A. Smith, a Brandywine Hundred Republican.
Smith and other foes contended the program would condone illegal drug use.

During a noon rally with about 75 supporters at Legislative Hall,
Henry and other General Assembly advocates, such as House sponsor
Rep. Helene M. Keeley, D-Wilmington South, predicted victory. A few
hours later, Smith, after discussions with the GOP caucus, predicted
he would lose this battle.

At 11:20 p.m -- after nearly 90 minutes of debate -- the House
confirmed Smith's prediction.

Gov. Ruth Ann Minner has said she would "be happy" to sign the bill into law.

"We've been working on this for a long time," she said Thursday
evening. "We think it will make a difference for AIDS and the people
of Delaware. It's for the people who have problems and to make sure
they don't contaminate others."

Added Keeley: "I'm completely elated. It's such a wonderful step in
the right direction. Now it's only a pilot program for Wilmington,
but I can envision this going statewide in a couple of years."

The bill's passage left Lisa Blunt-Bradley, outgoing executive
director of the Wilmington Urban League, crying tears of joy.

"Unbelievable," said Bradley, who is moving overseas. "I have a
family member who has AIDS because of IV drug use. I had friends who
died because they were in relationships with [drug users]. "

Peter Houle, executive director of the Delaware HIV Consortium, said
it was about time Delaware made a move that has been proven in
numerous studies to save lives. The American Medical Association and
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention support needle exchange programs.

"Forty-eight other states can't be wrong," Houle said. "We needed to
get with the program. It's about creating a safer environment."

Houle and others said Delaware has been aching for relief.

Through 2004, 48 percent of the state's AIDS patients were
intravenous drug users or people who had sex with them -- fourth
highest in the nation -- according to the Kaiser Family Foundation,
which studies U.S. health issues. The national average is 31 percent.

In Delaware, where 19 percent of residents are black, 66 percent of
AIDS patients through 2004 were black, sixth highest in America.

The five-year pilot program will cost $315,000 the first year for a
specially equipped van, supplies and salaries for social workers and
counselors.

Keeley and Henry credited a June 10 News Journal article for raising
awareness among lawmakers. The story spotlighted a now-vacant
Wilmington "shooting gallery" where addicts used discarded dirty
needles and prostitutes had sex with customers.

"That opened people's eyes," Henry said. "I had so many people say
they didn't realize the extent of the problem until they saw the story."

Some lawmakers remained unconvinced during Thursday's debate.

Rep. John C. Atkins, R-Millsboro, worried that the bill would allow
teenagers to get free needles if they went to the van.

"It's really against everything we taught our kids," Atkins said.
"We're sending the wrong message."

But Paul Silverman, assistant deputy director of the state Division
of Public Health, stressed that program participants would get the
opportunity for counseling and treatment. "There's no question in my
mind that this is one of the few things we can do to reduce infection
rates in Delaware," Silverman told lawmakers.

Mark Rice, a former intravenous user who has been battling AIDS for
three years, told the rally Thursday that such a program would
probably have helped him avoid infection.

"If I had to pick a needle up off the ground to get high, I would
have done it," Rice said. "I only wish we had this bill back when I
was shooting drugs."