PROGRAM GETS RIGHT TO THE POINT

Santa Barbara's new needle-exchange program is serving about 120 drug
addicts every month, and Pacific Pride Foundation representatives say they
are taking more needles off the streets than they are giving away.

The needle-exchange program was approved by the county Board of Supervisors
earlier this year. Community health outreach workers who are also HIV
counselors began replacing dirty needles with clean ones at the end of
September.

The program -- paid for through private donations -- is operated by Pacific
Pride Foundation, an umbrella organization for the Gay & Lesbian Resource
Center and AIDS Project Central Coast.

"We approach this issue as a public health issue as opposed to a drug
issue," said Rafael Cosio, Pacific Pride's director of education,
prevention and training and an HIV testing counselor. "We have received a
larger number of dirty needles back than we are giving out."

Organizers are optimistic that the program will help slow the spread of
viruses such as HIV and AIDS and Hepatitis C. Health experts say they have
seen a rise in particular in Hepatitis C cases, which can lead to liver
disease.

In 1999, 368 people tested positive for Hepatitis C in the county. In 1998
that number was 287, according to the county Public Health Department.

There have been 651 people diagnosed with AIDS in the county -- 456 of whom
have died -- since the late 1980s, according to figures from the Health
Department. Of those cases, 585 of them are men and 62 are women. Four of
them are children.

Those numbers reflect only people with AIDS who have tested positive in
this county.

Health experts believe the needle-exchange program just might curb the
spread of these viruses.

Here's how the program works:

Intravenous drug users go the Pacific Pride office on East Haley Street and
return dirty needles. For every dirty needle turned in, they get one clean
needle in return.

Also during the exchange, health professionals will offer users information
about how to treat drug problems, talk to them about how long they have
been using and ask if they are interested in recovery.

Pacific Pride members say the approach is very relaxed and nonconfrontational.

"There is a window of opportunity and an avenue of access," said Janet
Stanley, executive director of Pacific Pride. "It gives us the opportunity
to talk about education and prevention and provide materials and referrals
to potential recovery programs."

Stanley said it is important that the community realize that intravenous
drug users come in all ages, races and sexes. You cannot put a face on the
intravenous drug user, she said.

"From people driving their Jaguars to people walking from the park,"
Stanley said. "We tend to categorize users as 'those folks.' But the
reality is, those folks are us."

It may be too early to tell, but apparently there hasn't been a rise in
drug violations because of the program, authorities said.

"This is probably more of a health issue than it is a law enforcement
issue," said police Lt. Nick Katzenstein, a department spokesman. "If there
is no clean needle exchange they (addicts) are going to use the dirty ones.
Perhaps they are using the clean ones and maybe it will be less of a health
hazard."

The Medical Notebook series runs every other Wednesday. You can contact
Staff Writer Joshua Molina with story ideas by telephone at 564-5279.