Pubdate: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 Source: Washington Post (DC) Page: A22 Copyright: 2007 The Washington Post Company Contact: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?137 (Needle Exchange) In the Works THE DISTRICT IS READY TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING ON NEEDLE-EXCHANGE PROGRAMS AMONG THE tragic data in the District's recently released HIV-AIDS study, the statistic on intravenous drug use is the most infuriating. Why? Because the tool needed to slow transmission of HIV by this route is well understood, but Congress forbids the District from using its own money to pay for it. We're talking about needle exchange. In response to the report's finding that the two most common modes of HIV transmission in the District were heterosexual sex (37 percent) and men having sex with men (27 percent), Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) announced Monday that more condoms would be distributed at no charge and that he would push for increased HIV testing in emergency rooms. Yet, when it comes to plans for addressing the third most common transmission route, IV drug use (14 percent), Mr. Fenty was silent. That's not because the city is without a plan. It's ready to send an instant infusion of cash to Prevention Works!, the District's only needle-exchange program, to expand its services. Additional programs would be created after a request for proposals was issued to local health-care, substance-abuse and HIV-AIDS agencies. Money has been budgeted. Officials say a comprehensive substance-abuse and HIV-prevention plan will be completed by June 2008 and implemented by October. But none of this can happen until Congress drops its harmful prohibition. Since 1998, the District has been forbidden to use its own money to fund needle exchanges. Opponents of these programs believe providing clean needles to addicts encourages drug use; they ignore evidence that such efforts greatly reduce the risk of contracting or spreading HIV. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and Rep. Jose E. Serrano (D-N.Y.) succeeded in getting the ban eliminated in the House this year. Now the city is waiting for the Senate to approve on an omnibus budget bill, which could happen next month. The sooner the better. The longer the District is denied the freedom to use its own money to help its own residents, the more lives will be needlessly put at risk. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake