MARCH TO URGE CLEAN NEEDLES

Advocates Want Easley Support

While it might look like a demonstration against Barry Bonds,
activists carrying clean syringes and banners in today's march in
Raleigh will be demonstrating for a different public health issue -
HIV/AIDS prevention.

Marchers will be advocating for the passage of a syringe-exchange
program bill as part of the N.C. HIV prevention strategy.

Starting at 11 a.m. at Bicentennial Mall, students, community members,
HIV patients and clergy will walk their issue to Gov. Mike Easley's
mansion. After the march, the Road to Hope AIDS tour will stop at 7
p.m. in Bingham 301.

Several groups are involved in the demonstration, including the UNC
chapter of Student Global AIDS Campaign and the N.C. Harm Reduction
Coalition Inc.

About 100 people are expected to march.

"I'm really pumped about it," said Alison Duncan, a UNC freshman who
is marching for the first time as part of the campaign.

"We really want to encourage Gov. Easley to take the opportunity to
positively affect public health in the state, and he can do that by
supporting this bill," she said.

Easley recently has proposed an increase in HIV/AIDS prevention
funding, but advocates are now marching for his support for House Bill
411, which would authorize three community-based clean syringe
exchange programs, march coordinator Alyssa Fine said.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Thomas Wright, D-New Hanover, who will
speak at the march along with Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield, D-Wilson.

A major part of the event is to educate the public about dirty needles
as a cause of the HIV infection.

"People aren't really aware of it," Fine said. "When they think of
prevention, they think of condoms; they think of sex. Needles don't
really come to mind."

According to 2004 N.C. statistics from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, about 11,000 people are living with HIV and more than
7,000 have AIDS within the state..

About 25 percent of newly reported AIDS cases are due to dirty
needles, Fine said.

Under N.C. law, the purchase of nonprescription needles is prohibited,
making syringe-exchange programs illegal, too, Duncan said.

The group said it hopes that this march will be the final push to
legalize the programs, she said.

Thelma Wright, director of the N.C. Harm Reduction Coalition Inc.,
said the only programs that exist in the state are underground.

Under the bill, syringe-exchange programs would replace dirty needles
with clean ones at three state-sponsored health facilities, preventing
the spread of diseases such as hepatitis C or HIV. Fine said about 90
percent of injection drug users have hepatitis C.

"It's not just needles; these programs include education, prevention
and treatment," said Marce Abare, a UNC graduate and campaign organizer.

The criticism of such programs is that they not only facilitate drug
use but encourage it, Fine said.

But she said there have been eight federally funded studies that show
that syringe-exchange programs work to educate people and keep them
safe from disease without encouraging drug use.

The bill would provide $550,000 to implement and evaluate these
exchange programs for both the 2005-06 and the 2006-07 fiscal years.

"It's not just socially responsible; it's fiscally responsible," Abare
said.

"Lifetime treatment for an AIDS patient can exceed $300,000. A clean
needle only costs 9 cents."

Abare added that the crucial part of getting the bill passed is to
secure Easley's support.

She said that the group has invited Easley to speak at the march, but
that he will not be able to attend.

ATTEND THE MARCH

Time: 11 a.m.

Date: Today

Location: Bicentennial Mall, Raleigh

Info: www.ncaidsmarch.org