It has been proven time and again that the first step in curtailing the growth of drug use is to send a clear and unambiguous message that it is wrong and will not be tolerated. My concern as a member of the Governor's Advisory Council on AIDS leads me to other conclusions. The root problem of the spread of HIV through needle sharing is drugs. Remember, this is a major part of the drug culture. To this date no study has been done on the impact that needle exchange has on young peoples' attitudes toward drugs.
Children equate legality with being acceptable or safe.
Changes in current policy demand at least longitudinal studies as to the impact of the proposed legislation. Introducing another predator into our cities not only further endangers their fragile environment but effectively makes them free zones for addicts and pushers. Some have likened this to bat day at the ballpark Accounts from Washington, D.C., and Geneva relate how after the needle vans leave, the pushers are right behind them. There are also numerous reports of discarded needles in streets, parks and housing projects. There are also numerous members of the urban underclass who once again suspect that social engineers are willing to exploit them as they had been exploited in the Tuskegee experiments.