Pubdate: Wed, 29 May 2002 Source: Maple Ridge News (CN BC) Copyright: 2002 Maple Ridge News Contact: http://www.mapleridgenews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1328 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n983/a05.html?1107 Authors: Ari Elias-Bachrach, Matthew M. Elrod, Ethan Straffin, Mack Mcleod Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?137 (Needle Exchange) COPS, EX-ADDICTS AREN'T DRUG 'EXPERTS' Editor, The News: Re: 'Harm reduction,' needle exchange don't work, experts say" (May 18). Contrary to popular myth, police officers are not scientific experts when it comes to drugs. Let's see an actual study, made by doctors and scientists, instead of anecdotal evidence from law enforcement agents and former addicts. Ari Elias-Bachrach, St. Louis, Missouri - ------------------------------------------------------------ Editor, The News: For future reference, "beat cops" are not "experts" on harm reduction. Publishing the opinions of a small group of police officers without calling attention to the contrary opinions of real public health experts and associations does a disservice to the community. Contrary to the anecdotes of police officers Al Arsenault, Toby Hinton and Chuck Doucette, Health Canada, the U.S. Surgeon General, the World Health Organization, the U.S. National Institute of Health, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Public Health Association and the U.S. Center for Disease Control are unanimous in the opinion that needle exchange programs reduce the spread of infectious disease without encouraging drug use. The peer-reviewed research on which public health institutions base their position is as readily available as illicit drugs. The next time you publish an article on harm reduction, I suggest you take the time to review the scientific literature and consult with real experts on the subject, such as Dr. Martin Schechter at the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. Matthew M. Elrod, Victoria - -------------------------------------------------------------- Editor, The News: Before blindly accepting the word of any self-proclaimed expert on drug policy, any thinking citizen should consider the source's potential biases. On May 25, the News reported that three law-enforcement officials and an ex-junkie who runs treatment programs were in town recently to argue against harm reduction and needle exchanges. We should ask ourselves: does being a cop does necessarily qualify someone as an expert on addiction or public health? And is a pay-to-play treatment provider whose business depends on a steady supply of addicts really interested in presenting us with the full story? Here in the U.S., an extensive and prestigious list of authorities have lined up to present findings and express opinions that differ radically from those of the Rotary Clubs' recent guests. Major studies from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science, former Surgeon General David Satcher, the National Institutes of Health Consensus Panel, the National Research Council, the Office of Technology Assessment and General Accounting Office of the U.S. Congress, the University of California, and the National Commission on AIDS all support the conclusion that needle exchanges improve public health without leading to increased drug abuse. Former U.S. Surgeons General Joycelyn Elders and C. Everett Koop agree with this assessment as well, and the American Medical Association and American Public Health Association (along with a host of other major medical, legal, and social groups) have publically expressed their support for such programs. I hope that the Rotary Clubs will do a better job in the future of presenting a more balanced program, and that the Maple Ridge News will be there for provide more balanced coverage. Ethan Straffin, Palo Alto, California - ---------------------------------------------------- Editor, The News: "They need the cure, not the poison..." says Billy Weselowski. So what is the cure? Prison, rehabilitation programs, methadone, a stern "talking to" perhaps? The only cure for addiction comes from inside the addict. Needle exchange doesn't do anything to prevent or cure addiction and I don't think anyone's claiming that it will. Prison and drug rehabilitation programs have little success in reducing recidivism. Jail doesn't help prisoners in any respect. It's designed to protect society but often reinforces a criminal lifestyle for those jailed. Drug use alone shouldn't turn a citizen into a criminal. Needle exchange is designed to decrease the spread of needle sharing disease, decrease the incidence of used needles laying around public spaces and provide a focal point where addicts can receive communication about programs to help them quit. It won't create more addicts, or less. It will bring them out of the shadows for a moment and decrease the spread of disease. That should be enough to justify such programs. Those who are against harm reduction are moralizing against drug use and ignoring the realities. If they're really worried about youth, spend more time with them when they're children. A loving family and honest information do more to protect children than criminal laws and scare tactic drug education. What sort of cure are they offering? Mack Mcleod, Thornhill, Ont. - --- MAP posted-by: Jackl