Pubdate: Thu, 08 Sep 2011
Source: Fresno Bee, The (CA)
Copyright: 2011 The Fresno Bee
Contact:  http://www.fresnobee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/161
Note: Does not publish letters from outside their circulation area.
Author: Bill McEwen

LET'S GET PRACTICAL ABOUT NEEDLES

Once again, a majority of Fresno County Supervisors knows better than 
the experts.

With intravenous drug use and diseases from dirty needles ravaging 
thousands of residents and exposing nonusers to needless risk, Judy 
Case, Phil Larson and Debbie Poochigian voted down plans for a 
county- approved needle exchange program.

"It's a philosophical question whether you give someone the tools to 
continue illegal behavior," Case, a registered nurse, told Bee 
reporter Kurtis Alexander. "I just think providing needles to addicts 
is enabling."

Chalk up another political victory for the morality posse.

Unfortunately, it goes down as another health defeat for a county 
that attracted negative attention in 2004 for having the highest 
per-capita use of injected drugs in our nation's metropolitan areas.

The situation was so dire that Dr. Edward Moreno, the county's health 
officer, two years later declared a health crisis among intravenous 
drug users infected with hepatitis C and the AIDS virus.

Case is wrong when she says that needle exchanges pose a 
philosophical question. What we have is a health question, and 
evidence shows that exchanges cut the spread of HIV and hepatitis C. 
In budget-conscious times, you'd think the board majority would want 
to reduce expensive treatments for these diseases.

You'd also think that the county would want to be part of enhancing 
the good work of the Fresno Needle Exchange Program, a volunteer 
effort that has operated illegally since since the mid-1990s near 
Roeding Park, and free medical care provided by Dr. Marc Lasher.

The board rejected a sound plan. Besides trading clean needles for 
dirty ones, the program would've exposed users to what they need: 
drug rehabilitation, mental-health treatment, temporary housing. Plus 
the proposal had the backing of WestCare California, a substance 
abuse treatment center with more than 1,000 clients in the Fresno 
area and a record of success.

But the trio of supervisors didn't want to appear soft on drugs. No, 
sir. No, ma'am. All these supervisors know is that meth and heroin 
are illegal and drug users shouldn't have needles. The law is the 
law, after all.

It's too bad that Case, Larson and Poochigian didn't recognize that 
the county is responsible for protecting the public at large. When 
dirty needle sharing is reduced, exposure to communicable diseases is cut, too.

One thing all supervisors understand is that voters tend to like 
candidates who support law enforcement. Maybe the supervisors should 
consider that needle exchanges help first responders and other 
innocent victims who come in contact with dirty needles.

I'm willing to provide cover for Case & Co. should they someday 
change their minds. They could chalk up the new stance to 
compassionate conservatism and protecting the public  without 
condoning illegal drug use.

It shouldn't be hard for them, actually. They're all supported by 
farmers who don't blink twice over hiring illegal immigrants to work 
the fields.

Not that I'm criticizing farmers. They've got crops that need 
picking. In such situations, the overriding question is always 
practical  not philosophical.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart