Pubdate: Wed, 20 Dec 2006
Source: Press of Atlantic City, The (NJ)
Copyright: 2006 South Jersey Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/29
Author: Pete McAleer, Statehouse Bureau
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?137 (Needle Exchange)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

CORZINE PUTS NEEDLE EXCHANGE IN MOTION

TRENTON - New Jersey became the last state in the nation to allow drug
users access to clean needles without a  prescription when Gov. Jon S.
Corzine signed  legislation Tuesday to allow pilot needle-exchange
programs in as many as six cities.

"This is long overdue," Corzine said. "Quite simply,  this bill will
save lives."

Atlantic City and Camden are expected to start the  state's first
legal needle-exchange programs sometime  within the next three months.
Both city councils passed  needle-exchange ordinances in 2004 that
were ultimately  struck down in court.

The South Jersey AIDS Alliance already has landed  private funding and
hopes to locate a needle exchange  at the Oasis Drop In Center on
South Tennessee Avenue  in Atlantic City, according to group director
Keith  Egan. The center already provides free HIV counseling,  testing
and case management.

The Atlantic City Health Department wants to add the  needle-exchange
component to its mobile health van.

"We have to see where it fits," said Atlantic City  Health Director
Ron Cash, who has emerged as one of the  leading statewide advocates
for needle exchange. "We  want to go to those areas where drug users
are already  at."

Health advocates have lobbied for needle exchange for  15 years. They
contend it is a major tool in combating  the spread of the AIDS, HIV
and hepatitis C viruses. In  New Jersey, unlike almost all other
states, the sharing  of needles among drug addicts is the leading
cause for  the spread of AIDS.

"We lead the nation in so many categories of HIV and  AIDS cases, yet
it took so long to get this done," said  state Assistant Health
Commissioner Laurence Ganges.  "To me, that's the story. Think about
the lives that  clearly have been lost. But now that we have this, the
  work really starts."

The next step for advocates will be convincing local  municipalities
to approve pilot needle-exchange  programs. The new law leaves it to
town governments to  adopt ordinances if they choose to participate.
The  state Health Department then will choose six cities to  conduct
two-year programs that will be reviewed by an  independent agency.

New Jersey Drug Policy Alliance Director Roseanne  Scotti - who
convinced Atlantic City and Camden to  adopt its needle-exchange
ordinances - said she is  hopeful larger urban cities such as
Newark, Paterson  and Jersey City will opt in to the program as well.

"Ideally, this should be mainstream public health,"  Scotti
said.

Corzine said he hoped participating cities would be  spread across the
state in such a way that the programs  reach as many people as
possible. He called the pilot  program "a first step" that would also
serve as a  gateway to drug treatment. The bill also provides $10
million for drug treatment and requires programs to  offer referrals
for HIV testing, drug treatment and  social services.

Opponents said the program would send the wrong message  to youth and
only help drug addicts go deeper into  their addiction.

"Addicts don't need free needles to continue to get  high," said state
Sen. Diane Allen, R-Burlington. "They  need treatment to help them
kick their addiction."

It took Corzine's support to end years of resistance to  needle
exchange in the Legislature. Gov. Christie  Whitman adamantly opposed
the program as a state  sanction of drug use. In recent years, the
legislation  has been blocked by a handful of lawmakers on the  Senate
Health Committee.

"Even when he was running for governor he was at the  forefront,
saying this is the right thing to do," said  Assembly Speaker Joe
Roberts, D-Camden. "I can assure  you, that is not a popular thing to
say when you're  running for office."

Roberts, the first legislative leader in the state to  advocate for
needle exchange, said the effort stalled  because there was little
political advantage to  fighting for drug addicts.

"It's a disgrace that we haven't done this sooner,"  Roberts said.
"You had one or two loud voices on the  other side and no visible
constituents (for needle  exchange), so people say aEmove on to the
next  problem.' But that's our job as legislators, to provide  a voice
for the voiceless."

Roberts also credited Atlantic County's two Republican  lawmakers aE"
state Sen. Bill Gormley and Assemblyman  Frank Blee aE" for making
needle exchange a bipartisan  issue. Both men served as bill sponsors.
Blee also  proposed several key amendments to the law, including  one
that required an outside agency study the  effectiveness of the program.

In the end though, it was Corzine's support that proved  key. For Riki
Jacobs, executive director of the  Hyancinth Aids Foundation, the bill
signing was a long  time coming. Jacobs helped craft New Jersey's
first  needle-exchange bill in 1993.

"New Jersey politics have made this a difficult issue  to advance,"
Jacobs said. "Today, Governor Corzine made  a statement about the need
to speak loudly and  forcefully about stopping AIDS."
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake