AIDS ACTIVIST VOWS NEEDLE-EXCHANGE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

A leading AIDS activist in Denver has raised the specter of expanding
underground needle exchanges as acts of civil disobedience in the wake
of the Legislature's refusal to revise state law to accomodate such
exchanges legally.

Underground needle exchanges for injection drug users are going on
now, and if the city can't, or won't, find a way to work around the
state law, those running the illegal programs will have no choice but
to expand them, said Paul Simons, director of an HIV prevention group.

"Where we're at right now is this, we want to conduct dialogue," said
Simons, head of People Engaged in Education and Reduction Strategies.
"We want to discuss things, as much as possible, with the mayor, with
the DA, with public health, environmental health, whatever. If those
talks do not come to fruition, if they don't produce a needle-exchange
program, then we, meaning...myself and other HIV/AIDS activists, have
no other choice than to go out and commit civil disobedience."

District Attorney Bill Ritter, who testified before a legislative
committee in favor of a needle-exchange law, repeated his earlier
position that it is against the law and that he would uphold the law.

"I've made it pretty clear to the people who want to run a
needle-exchange program in spite of the drug paraphernalia law that I
was not of a mind to turn a blind eye to the law," said Ritter. "I'm a
criminal prosecutor. I don't make the laws, but I do enforce them.

"I dont' think it's appropriate for me to choose to enforce some laws
and not others."

That stand was echoed by members of the city administration.

"I've been very clear, and the mayor has been very clear, that as long
as needle exchanges are illegal, they are illegal," said Teresa
Donahue, manager of environmental health for the city.

"We are as frustrated as Paul is, and others are, about the Legislature,"
she said. "We believe the answer is to go back and fight again next year."

Donahue suggested that in light of Mayor Wellington Webb's support of
needle exchanges if they were made legal, the civil disobedience
Simons talked of would be "a bit of an affront" to the mayor.

Simons' statements represent his frustrations, said mayoral aide
Andrew Hudson. The only sense of hope held out to Simons and other
activists is that the mayor hasn't given up on the issue, Hudson said.
The mayor expected it to be a tough battle and plans to regroup to try
again to change the law, Hudson said.

"We don't support anyone breaking the law," the aide said.

Given the attitude on the legislation, Simons feels that changing the law
might not be possible for years. "We're facing, in the city of Denver at
least, a potential catastrophe among our injection drug users, their sexual
partners and children. That's got to be stopped," he said.