July 2003

Needles in the News

New York: In announcing in March that the city was reorganizing its HIV/AIDS service delivery by having all agencies report to a single coordinator, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg surprised AIDS advocates by announcing that his administration will support a needle-exchange program. Bloomberg said that the city, which represents 3% of the U.S. population but has 16% of the country’s AIDS cases, could do a much better job in combating the disease.

Illinois: In May the Illinois House approved a bill that had already passed the Senate that would allow individuals to buy hypodermic needles from pharmacies without a prescription. Governor Rod Blagojevich was expected to sign it; a spokesman said he saw the bill as “an effective way of reducing AIDS and HIV and to improve delivery of prevention services.” Only four states—California, Delaware, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, still require a prescription to buy needles.

California: The Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to bar needle-exchange clinics from operating in the county and to oppose pending state legislation that would allow injection drug users to buy needles without a prescription. The county has an estimated 12,000 injection drug users and it’s estimated that 23% of the AIDS cases in the county can be attributed to injection drug use. There are at least 24 needle-exchange programs elsewhere in the state.

Texas: AIDS advocates in San Antonio are organizing a needle-exchange program, to be called the Bexar Area Harm Reduction Program. The group is seeking support from local officials and churches and community-based groups. Bill Day, speaking for the group, said it hopes to be operational by September. In addition to needle exchange, the group would offer a variety of AIDS and drug use education and counseling services.

Asia: Indonesia, which has strict drug laws, including penalties for carrying a needle without a prescription, is allowing needle-exchange programs to operate in health clinics, the Christian Science Monitor reports. China recently approved needle-exchange programs in six provinces, India already has similar programs, and Iran operates needle-exchange and methadone projects with assistance from the World Health Organization.

However, the programs remain controversial in Indonesia and elsewhere, often resulting in clashes between public health and police officials. Harm reduction “is a new approach in Asia, so it can be hard for police to accept, said Dr. Sandro Calvani, regional director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. He commented that because the drug laws haven’t been changed, “it requires some pragmatism.”