The Tiahrt amendment would impose a federal requirement on the District that does not apply to any state in our nation. It would prohibit the District from using even its own funds for needle exchange programs. It would exert federal control over the District of Columbia s public health decisions decisions now made independently by each of the fifty states. Current federal practice already bars any federal funds for needle exchange programs. However, the states can make their own public health decision on whether to use their own funds to finance such programs.
Many states use their funds for that purpose.
In fact, there are more than 113 programs throughout the United States which are supported by state and local governments. The Tiahrt Amendment would single out the District by controlling the city s use of its own public health funds. The Tiahrt Amendment is so extreme that it may even jeopardize any governmental funding for organizations that operate needle exchange programs with private money, such as the Whitman-Walker Clinic s successful program. Since 1997, this program has reached an estimated 2,000 injection drug users, and has reduced needle sharing among participants by two-thirds, thus greatly reducing the risk of HIV transmission. Additionally, all drug users were provided free HIV tests as well as information on substance abuse, treatment and rehabilitation.