Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1995. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The Associated Press - 19 Sep 1995
A National Research Council study said needle exchange programs are so successful in slowing the AIDS epidemic that restrictions on federal funding should be removed and more communities should be allowed to set up such programs.
"For injection drug users who cannot or will not stop injecting drugs, the once-only use of sterile needles and syringes remains the safest, most effective approach for limiting HIV (AIDS virus) transmission," the report concluded.
The report said that studies of existing needle-exchange programs in the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia show that the availability of clean needles does not lead to an increase in addiction to injected drugs.
But a restriction on clean needles, the study said, does add to the epidemic of HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, among drug users, their sexual partners and children born of their unions.
"The HIV epidemic in this country is now clearly driven by infections occurring in the population of injection drug users, their sexual partners and their offspring," the report said. It added: "The main factor associated with HIV infection among injection drug users is the practice of sharing injection equipment."
The study said that a major reason drug users share needles is that legal restrictions make the equipment often difficult to obtain.
Forty-five states and the District of Columbia prohibit possession of syringes and needles for illegal drug use, and nine states and the district require a prescription to purchase needles and syringes.
Use of federal funds for needle exchange programs is forbidden by Congress, but statutes allow the ban to be lifted if the surgeon general determines such programs can curtail the spread of AIDS without encouraging more drug use.
The report recommended that the surgeon general make that determination.
Needle exchange programs, paid for by private or other nonfederal funds, operate in 55 U.S. cities, and the study said "there is no credible evidence to date that drug use is increased among participants as a result of programs that provide legal access to sterile equipment."
In needle exchange programs, agencies trade sterile injection sets for used sets brought in by addicts. Such programs also provide information about AIDS and combatting drug addiction.
Some communities are distributing bleach for addicts to use to clean the needles and syringes between injections. The NRC study said that bleach can be an effective disinfectant, but only if it is used properly.
"Bleach use is clearly an intervention to be used when injection drug users have no safer alternatives," the study said. But it added: "The effectiveness of bleach as used by injection drug users under street conditions has not been optimal."
The report said that the percentage of U.S. HIV cases attributed to injection drug use has more than doubled in the last 13 years. In 1981, injection drug use was the cause of 12 percent of the HIV cases in the country, but in 1993, it was the cause of 28 percent.
The National Research Council is an affiliate of the National Academy of Sciences, a private organization chartered by Congress to conduct independent research at the request of government agencies.
Copyright 1995/The Associated Press. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Permissions Desk, The Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020.
950919
AP950913
Copyright © 1995 - Associated Press. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the AP Permissions Desk.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1995. 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, 1995. 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. .