USE COMMON SENSE IN U.S. DRUG POLICY

Re: "Needles prickly issue for city" (Trend Spotting, May 14)

Resistance to Passaic's needle exchange program is not without
precedent. Needle exchange programs 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 "not in my backyard" 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 United States 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.

Robert Sharpe, policy analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington