Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Associated Press - December 19, 2006
Beth DeFalco
"It's long overdue," Gov. Jon S. Corzine said. "We need to protect those we don't know who have yet to be infected."
New Jersey was the lone state without either a needle exchange program or one that allows syringes to be sold without a prescription. State lawmakers passed the measure last week, ending years of legislative fighting with a defeat for critics who maintained that needle exchanges foster drug use.
Aimed at combatting the spread of HIV, AIDS, hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases, the New Jersey law makes needle exchanges available for six communities. The cities or towns have to apply for the program.
The measure also provides $10 million for drug treatment and offers those exchanging needles with referrals for HIV testing, drug-abuse treatment and health and social service programs.
Corzine, who advocated needle exchange while a U.S. senator and when he was running for governor, called the programs "an opportunity to draw people into treatment" that will save lives.
Advocates of the programs have been trying to pass a needle exchange bill in New Jersey since 1993. The state ranks among the top five in the number of residents with HIV/AIDS, the annual number of new HIV/AIDS cases and the rate of infections among women.
Of those with AIDS in New Jersey, 44 percent contracted it from sharing needles - double the national average, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
"I wondered how many more people had to die before New Jersey did the right thing," said Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts, Jr., a main sponsor of the bill.
Opponents contend that giving needles to drug abusers fuels addiction and its accompanying ills, and fails to address social problems like poverty and unemployment that lead to drug addiction.
"Addicts don't need free needles to get high. They need treatment to help them kick their addiction," said state Sen. Diane Allen, R-Burlington.
Eleven states have statewide laws allowing needle exchange programs; 22 states and Puerto Rico have exchange programs because no law specifically prohibits them; and there are at least 184 needle exchange programs around the country, according to the Office of Legislative Services, the Legislature's nonpartisan legal research arm.
In 2004, then-Gov. James E. McGreevey authorized syringe-access programs for drug users in Atlantic City, Camden and a third, unnamed city. His executive order was challenged almost immediately and then lapsed at the end of the year, before the lawsuits were resolved or any programs were running.
061219
AP061245
Copyright © 2006 - 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, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2006. 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, 2006. 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. .