AMAZING AND IRONIC

Vasconcellos Fought the Recall Election; Now the Man WHO Won It Signs
His Clean-Needle Bill

Sen. John Vasconcellos must be shaking his head in wonderment that the
recall election he so vehemently opposed installed a governor who
would endorse one of his longstanding legislative goals -- a sensible
and humane policy on clean needles.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has put his signature where Gray Davis
twice refused to, on legislation by Vasconcellos, D-San Jose, that
makes clean needles and syringes available at pharmacies without a
prescription.

When drug users share dirty needles, they share diseases as
well.

"My administration supports this measure because it will prevent the
spread of HIV, hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases among
injection drug users, their sexual partners and their children,"
Schwarzenegger's bill signing letter said.

The letter noted that research in other states concluded that access
to clean needles reduced disease but "did not increase drug use or
crime rates."

That's the simple case for this policy. The bill creates a pilot
program, to be re-evaluated in 2010. It gives cities and counties the
authority to decide whether pharmacies in their jurisdictions can
offer the needles.

Schwarzenegger's approval fits with his moderate social views, but the
bill hardly required a governor on the cutting edge to sign it.
Forty-five states already have similar laws.

Kudos to Vasconcellos for persistence and to Schwarzenegger for ending
California's foolish holdout.