Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
 |
San Francisco Examiner - January 3, 2008
Michael Neibauer, mneibauer@dcexaminer.com
Fenty, joined by three D.C. Council members, delivered a check to Prevention Works! only a week after Congress lifted a decade-old ban on publicly financed syringe exchanges. The nonprofit supplies clean needles to about 2,000 drug users a year, while also providing substance abuse treatment and HIV testing in partnership with the District's Department of Health.
"This program really goes right to where the rubber meets the road on this very serious health crisis," Fenty said during a news conference.
Officials estimate there are upward of 12,000 injection drug users in D.C., who comprise 1 in 5 of all HIV cases and roughly one-third of all AIDS-related deaths. The District's HIV rate is the worst in the nation.
"With such a large epidemic, we need every tool in our tool kit to reduce it," said Dr. Shannon Hader, director of the HIV/AIDS Administration.
Though needle exchanges are well-regarded in many major cities as key components in the fight against HIV, the programs remain controversial. The White House budget office, in a policy statement issued last June, urged Congress to retain the D.C. ban, arguing that prevention and treatment are "superior public health alternatives" and that distribution programs "facilitate illegal drug use."
Bush signed the spending bill last week despite the ban being dropped by lawmakers.
Ken Vail, Prevention Works! executive director, said the organization handed out about 200,000 syringes in 2007. Through the program, a drug user can acquire a clean needle simply by bringing in a dirty syringe. Future exchanges will be offered from mobile and fixed locations.
D.C. Councilman David Catania, chair of the health committee, said the expansion of needle exchange is a "moment long in coming" and well worth the price tag.
The District will grant another $350,000 to local health providers to add needle exchange to their existing programs.
080103
SE080101
Copyright © 2008 - San Francisco Examiner. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the San Francisco Examiner, Permissions Desk, 110 Fifth Street, P.O. Box 7260, San Franciso, CA 94120.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation UK, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2008. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2008. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .