OUTRAGEOUS BILL

CHICAGO - The Tribune's fine Sept. 18 editorial "A potential step back on
AIDS" told it like it is on the Coburn-Hastert bill, which aims to
"permanently ban federal funding or endorsement of clean-needle programs as
an AIDS prevention strategy."

As the Tribune accurately reported, current scientific evidence "unanimously
indicated that needle exchanges help reduce the rate of HIV infections
without promoting drug use." Candidly, this proposed bill is absurd and is
an outrageous affront to common sense.

As frivolous lawsuits bear a huge monetary penalty, perhaps we ought to
sponsor a new bill against frivolous legislation that lacks the essentials
of common sense. To impose a permanent ban on anything precludes the
possibiblity that future studies will produce data to the contrary or that
common sense will prevail.

Both Congressmen ought to be ashamed of themselves for sponsoring such
bizarre legislation. With proposed bills like this, it's no wonder the
Congress is held in such low esteem by the public.

Howard Mirsky
Pharmacist
President
Citizens Alliance for VD Awareness