Pubdate: Mon, 12 Jun 2006 Source: Boston Globe (MA) Copyright: 2006 Globe Newspaper Company Contact: http://www.boston.com/globe/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/52 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n727/a07.html Author: Robert Heimer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) Note: The writer is an associate professor in the department of epidemiology and public health at Yale University. DATA SUPPORT LEGAL SYRINGE ACCESS IN "MASS. Senate OKs sale of syringes" (Page A1, June 8), opponents of legalizing over-the-counter sales did not produce any evidence for their opinions. In fact, the evidence supports legalization. Our studies have found that public discard of syringes in Springfield, Mass., a city without any legal nonprescription access , was much higher than in Hartford or New Haven , cities with legal access through pharmacies. Public discard is higher in Springfield precisely because possession is illegal; injectors discard their syringes publicly to avoid arrest or harassment for such possession. In fact, when legal access to syringes was reduced in Willimantic, Conn., public discard increased. Other studies have repeatedly found no correlation between laws restricting syringe access and the number of injection drug users in a municipality. No study has reported a linkage between liberalization of syringe access and an increase in drug injection. Clearly, legal syringe access does not send the wrong message and thereby encourage drug abuse. Instead, it sends the right message about protecting the health of all citizens, even those addicted to injectable drugs. ROBERT HEIMER New Haven The writer is an associate professor in the department of epidemiology and public health at Yale University. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman