NEEDLE MADNESS

Kudos to Jason Lott for making the case for harm reduction in his article,
SA faces scourge of heroin as well as HIV (March 12). Needle-exchange
programmes reduce the spread of HIV without increasing drug use. They also
serve as a bridge to drug treatment for a hard-to-reach population. Drug
users aren't the only beneficiaries.

Consider the tragic results of the US's tough-on-drugs approach.
Researchers estimate that 57% of AIDS cases among women and 36% of overall
AIDS cases in the US are linked to injection drug use or sex with partners
who inject drugs.

This easily preventable crisis is a direct result of zero-tolerance laws
that restrict access to clean syringes.

SA cannot afford to emulate the US's drug policies.

Robert Sharpe

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington DC