Pubdate: Wed, 02 Jan 2002
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Copyright: 2002 The Dallas Morning News
Contact:  http://www.dallasnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117
Author: Suzanne Wills
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?137 (Needle Exchange)

DRUG RULE HURTS EPIDEMIC

Your article on the AIDS epidemic, "AIDS transforming societies, families," 
describes the tragedy and threat of this disease: 60 million infected, 22 
million dead, and no end in sight. It mentions only one cause for this 
explosive spread, the correct one: sharing unsterile needles. The article 
does not mention the United States' role in perpetuating this crisis. 
Heroin use is sweeping the undeveloped world, up 300 percent since 1990. 
Unsterile needles are used hundreds of times. Dozens of cities in Asia and 
now in South America, Africa, and Eastern Europe have gone from having no 
HIV infection among injecting drug users to having 80 percent infected 18 
months later. Female sexual partners are infected next, then their infants. 
Then it's too late. Dr. Ernest Drucker, professor of epidemiology at Albert 
Einstein College of Medicine and an expert on the global AIDS crisis, 
maintains that additional outbreaks can be stopped for less than $1 per 
person by providing sterile needles to addicts.

The United Nations Drug Control Program, which is controlled by the United 
States, does not even mention needle exchange programs in its AIDS 
prevention documents. The United States, influenced primarily by Sen. Jesse 
Helms, forbids the use of any of its U.N. contributions for sterile 
injecting equipment for addicts. This is in direct contradiction to 
American Medical Association recommendations that call for extensive use of 
needle exchange programs.

Your article quotes Jenny Marcus of the Community AIDS Response as saying, 
"We need a mighty miracle." We don't need a miracle. We need a rational 
drug policy.

Suzanne Wills,
Drug Policy Forum of Texas,
Dallas
- ---
MAP posted-by: Lou King