NEEDLE EXCHANGES REDUCE DISEASE

According to your April 10 article, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors
has agreed to look into the possibility of a needle-exchange program. The
doctors and drug treatment experts who proposed the harm-reduction measure
have no doubt informed the board that needle-exchange programs have been
proven to reduce HIV transmission without increasing drug use.

Unfortunately, such programs often give rise to a "not in my back yard"
reaction. An alternative is syringe deregulation. Allowing drug users to
purchase needles in pharmacies without a prescription has the added benefit
of not costing taxpayers a dime.

Regardless of the distribution mechanism, access to clean needles is
critical. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 57%
of AIDS cases among women are linked to injection drug use or sex with
partners who inject drugs. Overall, 36% of AIDS cases in the United States
can be traced back to intravenous drug use.

This easily preventable public health crisis is a direct result of zero
tolerance policies that restrict access to clean syringes. In the interest
of containing the HIV epidemic, let's hope America's tough-on-drugs
politicians acknowledge the drug war's tremendous collateral damage sooner
rather than later.

Robert Sharpe, M.P.A.

Program Officer, Drug Policy Alliance, Washington, D.C.