Pubdate: Sat, 7 Jun 2008 Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Copyright: 2008 Times Colonist Contact: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481 Author: Mia Shinbrot HARM REDUCTION BENEFITS ALL Some people have been concerned that injection-drug users are getting free needles while diabetics are not. First, many diabetics do get free needles through PharmaCare and all diabetics who are on provincial disability benefits are entitled to free needles. More to the point, though, with a free needle exchange there will be fewer needles left on the street for innocent bystanders to encounter. There will be fewer people getting HIV and hepatitis from sharing needles, which means less chance of healthy people accidentally getting infected too. And there will be fewer injection-drug users in crisis winding up in our already crowded emergency rooms. Further, free needles will reduce the number of property crimes that would otherwise be committed by addicts to buy their needles. In short, the point is harm reduction -- and that, in the end, leads to reducing the harm suffered by people who do not use illegal drugs, as well. Mia Shinbrot Victoria - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake