Pubdate: Sun, 20 Jul 2003 Source: Midland Reporter-Telegram (TX) Copyright: 2003 The Midland Reporter-Telegram Contact: http://www.mywesttexas.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/264 Author: Kim Hanna Note: Headline supplied by MAP. SUPPORTS SAFE INJECTION SITES I respectfully disagree with your editorial on Canada's medically supervised drug injection site. At some point in time America will come to realize that bringing drug use and abuse out into the open will be better than waging a counterproductive drug war. You're worried about Canada passing out needles but only five U.S. states require a prescription to buy hypodermic needles. The experience of states such as Minnesota and Connecticut that have deregulated needle sales consistently show a decrease in needle sharing; and a reduction in new hepatitis and HIV infections after syringe sales are deregulated. In Switzerland the injection sites have worked so well that the programs are extended until 2009. Most of their addicts have gone back to work, major reductions in crime are witnessed and reduced street drug dealing has been noticed, which lowers the availability of drugs to teens. As our country moves further into deficit spending and our states slash budgets to make ends meet, we should take every opportunity to save tax monies. The cost to the public for each new hepatitis and HIV case is phenomenal and is passed on to Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security disability. The drug injection sites will save tax monies, increase public health, save the lives of society's innocent non drug user and is the compassionate conservative policy to adopt. Kim Hanna Worcester, Mass. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens