RESEARCH: Ian Oliver noted that federal funding of needle exchange
programmes (NEPs) was recently blocked, based in part on a report on the
Vancouver NEP. A more recent study, in the British-based Aids journal,
contradicts the view that NEPs attract addicts who then share dirty needles.

Indeed, according to Donna Shalala, the American secretary of health and
human services, "a meticulous scientific review has now proven that needle
exchange programs can reduce the transmission of HIV and save lives without
losing ground in the battle against illegal drugs". In April 1998, Dr Harold
Varmus, director of the National Institutes of Health agreed, saying, "An
exhaustive review of the science in this area indicates that needle exchange
programs can be an effective component in the global effort to end the
epidemic of HIV disease".

Matthew Elrod
Victoria,
British Columbia