The Bay Area Reporter - May 1, 1998
Matthew Sharp, ACT UP/Golden Gate Writers Pool

Donna Shalala, Bill Clinton's Secretary of Health and Human Services added, "This is another life saving intervention." The secretary visited UC Berkeley to give a keynote speech at the inauguration of a new UC Chancellor, but in light of the decision couldn't have picked a worse time to come to the Bay Area. She was a perfect target for the mobilization of a diverse coalition of Bay Area AIDS activists including ACT UP/Golden Gate and ACT UP/East Bay members, who couldn't let the opportunity go to express their outrage.

After the initial shock and disbelief of the decision spread through the AIDS community, the cowardly Clinton administration, a right-wing drug policy chief, and a politically charged Congress remained headstrong in their opposition to the NE programs. Clinton retorted in a White House news conference that there had been "more heat than light on" the matter. He continued to digress when he stated needle exchange research raises the "logical question" posed by Barry McCaffrey, Clinton's Drug Policy Chief, that "the benefits of needle exchange are uncertain and that the message you send out is that somehow the government is empowering drug use. There are people all over the country that agree with that."

Given the ominous situation, and the conclusive evidence from six studies, there would appear to be a majority of people all over the country that now support needle exchange. Clinton failed to mention the researchers, policy advisors, prevention experts, needle exchangers, people with AIDS, people of color, and his own surgeon general, David Satcher. Sandy Thurman, the current top AIDS advisor to the president, recommended funding. In March of this year the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS implored that the administration lift the ban. Also, a recent USA Today found 64 percent of respondents in favor of federal funding for needle exchange. The Congressional Black Caucus and National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) have called for Barry McCaffrey's resignation. Also, ACT UP chapters in New York, Philadelphia, East Bay, and Golden Gate have called for Shalala to step down in protest to Clinton's decision.

The hypocrisy is typical in the Clinton administration that has failed to deliver on gays in the military, healthcare reform, and countless other broken promises. His apology to the African-American community on the Tuskeegee experiments is particularly hypocritical given the disproportionate number of blacks exposed to HIV through IV drug use, who could benefit from needle exchange.

"He has consistently taken spineless positions on AIDS in order to escape the ire of the republicans in Congress," stated John Iverson of ACT UP East Bay. "He fired Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders for mentioning the word 'masturbation'. He appointed and then appeased Barry McCaffrey's opposition to needle exchange, even though in a campaign promise in 1992 he promised to fund it. So now we have a president, mired in his own controversies, catering to a bigoted right-wing Congress, backing out of the most immoral life-and-death decision he has ever had to make."

ACT UP chapters and needle exchange advocates have vowed to follow and disrupt Clinton, Shalala, and McCaffrey wherever they are making public appearances, letting them know through demonstrations and civil disobedience how outrageous and hypocritical the decision is. Congress members should be contacted for the immoral moves they are taking to prohibit any future funding whatsoever for needle exchange.

The history

In 1988 a few needle exchange programs were born in Tacoma, New York, and San Francisco by former users, anarchists, and pagans who were concerned about the spread of AIDS. Underground organizations formed to distribute clean needles, bleach, condoms, and as much safe sex information that was possible.

The activists risked arrest, and some were arrested, but San Francisco's Prevention Point continued to grow and by 1989 had distributed over 100,000 syringes. San Francisco allowed needle exchange and with few exceptions the City came to support and later fund programs despite the state and federal laws.

ACT UP has a rich history of support for needle exchange in the United States and has passionately fought for programs. ACT UPs in Cleveland, Columbus, and Oakland (ACT UP/East Bay) actually distributed needles and provided seed money to start local programs. Since ACT UP members had little fear of risking arrest, they took the initiative to provide clean syringes to save lives. Today, Alameda County Needle Exchange exchanges 750,000 syringes a year with no local government support.

Before ACT UP/San Francisco split into two groups, members raised needed funds for Prevention Point. However, as exchanges continued, ACT UP members wanted to engage in a more vocal outcry to decriminalize needle exchange and gather support. Prevention Point members wanted to remain quiet and distribute needles. The two factions were synergistic in their ideology, but there was tension over tactics. Eventually ACT UP/San Francisco disbanded but Prevention Point continued. It is now administrated and funded by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and volunteers handle exchanges. Federal funds would benefit this largest operation in the country, which exchanges over one million syringes a year.

ACT UP/New York began a needle exchange committee that distributed needles and condoms in 1990. The committee continued to exchange needles but was in a less supportive and more confrontational environment than San Francisco. Six people were arrested, and "not in my backyard" community groups stopped successful pilot projects.

ACT UPs have been the voice behind action on needle exchange. Levels of participation have varied as they have on other critical AIDS issues. Some chapters participated in exchanges, raised funds, and led arrest actions to gain more attention. But most importantly, ACT UP has been the loudest and most persistent voice to get as much national support as it has today. In September, 1998 a national ACT UP demonstration was staged in Washington DC, where 12 people were arrested.

ACT UP/Golden Gate has been vocal since 1992, when a few members were arrested at a Clinton re-nomination rally in Oakland. Other ACT UP/Golden Gate Writers Pool articles have focused on the issue helping to educate the community. Needle exchange researcher Peter Lurie, formally from UCSF, was awarded activist of the year by ACT UP/Golden Gate in 1996. Other local actions have been ACT UP/East Bay's World AIDS Day event in Oakland, and the recent UC Berkeley demonstration where two members were arrested.

It has been an incredibly long battle and the war is not over. We've been through a lot to prove that needle exchange is one of the best HIV prevention methods we've got. It does not promote further drug use. It prevents other life threatening diseases such as Hepatitis B and C. It reduces costs of increased HIV care. It fosters rehabilitation and recovery. After the compelling research there are few people who now oppose it. We've worked hard to educate and garner growing support. Money has been raised. Lives have been saved.

But thousands more lives could be saved if needed federal funding was available. More programs could start; more needles could be exchanged. But now all we have is a president with blood on his hands.
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