PINKHAM WRONG ON NEEDLE REGULATION

To the editor:

Needle exchange programs ("Panic in Needle Exchange Park," June 30,
Page 15) have been shown 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. However, such programs
often give rise to a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) reaction. An
alternative is syringe access regulation. Allowing drug users to
purchase clean needles in pharmacies has the added benefit of not
costing taxpayers a dime.

Unfortunately, tough-on-drugs politicians have built careers on
confusing drug prohibition's collateral damage with drugs themselves.
Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains
constant increase the profitability of trafficking. For addictive
drugs like heroin, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts
to increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war
doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime.

When politics trumps science, people die. Centers for Disease Control
researchers estimate that 57 percent of AIDS cases among women and 36
percent of overall AIDS cases in the U.S. are linked to
injection-drug use or sex with partners who inject drugs. This
preventable public health crisis is a direct result of zero-tolerance
laws that restrict access to clean syringes. Drug abuse is bad, but
the drug war is worse.

For information, visit www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/facts/idu.htm.

Robert Sharpe

Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, DC