Free Needles: HIV and AIDS

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Free Needles: HIV and AIDS

Washington Post (08/23/99) P. A16
Souder, Mark

In a letter to the editor, Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) asserts that anti-HIV programs targeting intravenous drug users need not include needle exchange programs to be effective. Souder says that outreach and educational efforts have been proven to reduce drug use, without providing drug paraphernalia to users. He points out that a study of an outreach and education program in Chicago demonstrated that the program reduced HIV by 71 percent. According to Souder, "Every major city with needle exchange has an epidemic of HIV and AIDS." He says that the rate of HIV infection in Vancouver has increased from between 1 percent to 2 percent in 1988, when the city's needle exchange was launched, to 23 percent today.

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