STOP THE SPREAD

Re: "N.J. is woefully behind on needle exchanges" (editorial, July 26).

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 United
States 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.

In the interest of containing the HIV epidemic, let's hope New
Jersey's tough-on-drugs politicians acknowledge the drug war's
tremendous collateral damage sooner rather than later.

ROBERT SHARPE, Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C.