Pubdate: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 Date: 02/23/1999 Source: Illawarra Mercury (Australia) Author: Hjr Page: 10 I can't believe the stupidity of our government leaders. Stopping the needle exchange program is not going to solve the problem of young people or anyone taking drugs. I started using drugs when there were no needle exchanges. The needles we addicts were using back then would be shared amongst us because they were hard to get. Sometimes a needle would be used 100 times before you could throw it away, when they are only supposed to be used once. I contracted hepatitis A, B and C through sharing needles and so did my partner and about 80 per cent of the addicts I knew. If we didn't have exchanges, I would certainly have contracted the HIV virus. These days it's a relief to know that you can get a clean needle on demand and you can say: no, I won't share my needles with my partner or a friend, because you know they can get one, too. And so the needles that brainless addicts throw onto the streets are less likely to carry these diseases which are highly infectious. I really can't see what damage shooting galleries or rooms are going to do to anyone other than the addict. You'd have clean needles and you couldn't throw them onto the street. Also, it would stop needle-sharing and disease spreading. HJR, Port Kembla