MotherJones.com | MoJoBlog - Social Issues and Political Commentary: U.S. only country to ban funding for clean syringe programs

« Depends on what the meaning of "hoax" is | Blog Index | “There are No Hereditary Kings in America” »

U.S. only country to ban funding for clean syringe programs

"Give Them Dirty Needles and Let Them Die" is the title of a new piece in AlterNet, inspired by a remark once made by Judge Judy when she went to Australia and was asked her opinion about the distribution of sterile needles to drug injectors to prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis C.

In her report, author Roseanne Scotti maintains that the judge's remark is actually a reflection of the federal government's attitude toward the clean needle program. Opponents of syringe access programs, Scotti points out, say that providing such programs "condones" drug use. The fact that several studies have shown that needle programs do not actually encourage drug use are probably irrelevant to the opposition, who not only turn their noses up at scientific research, but who also oppose anything that they can claim condones a behavior they do not like.

This is not to argue that anyone likes the idea of drug addiction, but drug addiction is a reality. One cannot help but wonder whether Judge Judy and her followers likewise condemn Rush Limbaugh to a painful death, or whether they wish former Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist had died of AIDS.

According to the AlterNet piece, the rate of HIV related to shared syringes is 4% in Australia, 6% in the UK, 17% in Canada, and 22% in the U.S. Even Iran has started a syringe exchange program. In 2002, U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher concluded in his report to Congress:

After reviewing all of the research to date, the senior scientists of the Department and I have unanimously agreed that there is conclusive scientific evidence that syringe exchange programs . . . are an effective public health intervention that reduces the transmission of HIV and does not encourage the use of illegal drugs.

Satcher's conclusion was corroborated by the American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Institutes of Health Concensus Panel, and the AIDS Advisory Commissions of Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. However, the U.S. remains the only country with a ban against the federal funding of clean syringe programs.

Comments

Hmmm...experts and scientific consensus don't seem to be working...makes you wonder if a prophetic or visionary revelation encouraging syringe exchange and condom use might do better.
So many outrages, so little time.

Posted by: disdaniel on 08/18/06 at 7:18 AM

actually syringes have a medical purposes and shoul not be illegal for someone to have one in his possetion. On the other hand the goverment should not get involved in providing syringes for use of illegal drugs.

Posted by: Dr.Q on 08/18/06 at 1:14 PM

I don't know where you live, Dr. Q, but I'm pretty sure your state government, and maybe your city government, are involved in providing syringes for users of illegal drugs. These programs have saved many lives.

Posted by: Diane on 08/18/06 at 1:43 PM

This current administration hates everything that can be scientifically proven as reality (global warming, round world, earth not being the center of the universe.) That they refuse a sensible use of tax dollars on a medically proven truth is really no suprise. I just wish they would stop acting all concerned about preserving life (Terry Schiavo for instance) if their stance is anti-life such as it is.

Posted by: Craig on 08/18/06 at 2:07 PM

When the truth of kaneh bosm is known by all this problem will not exist!

Posted by: Garry Minor on 08/18/06 at 9:06 PM

Judge Judy herself could be infected with AIDS by having sex with someone who has had sex with someone who became infected by sharing syringes. How stupid judgemental and non-objective control freaks are; and, ironically, it does bite them on the rear pretty often

Posted by: marlene keller on 08/19/06 at 3:31 PM

i worked street outreach 10 years ago in hollywood and used to take people to the needle exchange. those of us on the frontlines have known about harm reduction for years. but you know, bush happened, and it all went away.

i remember two weeks after 9/11 ashcroft sent dea/f.b.i. agents to bust and shut down all the medical marijuana centers in west hollywood. couldn't get to afganistan, but they goddamn sure kicked the shit out of a whole huge program that helped a lot of very sick people when they needed it the most.

in the 80's and 90's i used to poo poo all the conspiracy bullshit that the government caused aids...but these last 6 years have proven to me that it is indeed entirely possible.

Posted by: echoman on 08/19/06 at 5:04 PM