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The federal government is at an important crossroads in
its attempts to slow the spread of HIV. Now President
Clinton and Congress need to show the courage and wisdom to
take the high road.

In the interest of national health, the feds should lift
their ban on funding for needleexchange programs. Study
after study by reputable groups, such as the National
Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control, has shown that persuading users of intravenous or
injectable drugs to exchange their dirty needles for clean
ones is an effective way to help prevent the spread of HIV,
which causes AIDS.

Injectabledrug users account for about 25% of new HIV
infections, double the rate in the past. Worse, drug users
infected with HIV can then spread the disease to their sex
partners, spouses and offspring.

Sadly, the Clinton administration so far has not shown
the political moxie to call for lifting the 1992 ban.
Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala recently
forwarded to Congress a report showing that
needleexchange programs work, but she stopped short of
calling for eliminating the ban, probably because the
Clinton administration does not want to be seen as soft on
drugs.

Proponents of the ban argue that needleexchange
programs encourage drug use. Although that's an
understandable concern, studies have shown the fear to be
unwarranted. Actually, such programs have prompted many
drug users to seek treatment.

The AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin has operated a
needleexchange program in Milwaukee for three years,
reaching an estimated 1,500 injectabledrug users each
year, about onethird of the total. The center runs a
similar program in Racine. Using mobile vans, the center
provides HIV testing and education. Last year, the center
moved about 75 drug users into treatment programs and this
year expects to double that number, according to Doug
Nelson, the center's executive director.

Even the bottom line looks good. The cost of Milwaukee's
needleexchange program is about $100,000 far less than
the cost of treating an HIVinfected addict during his or
her lifetime, which is lengthening, thanks to more
effective treatment.

Common sense says the ban must go.