In your recent editorial entitled "Good news on drugs", you state "The
increased use of heroin is particularly disturbing and is, unfortunately,
reflected in our community. Lancaster County Drug Task Force agents believe
two drug overdose deaths in recent weeks can be attributed to potent forms of
heroin now in circulation."

Heroin addiction causes an even greater threat to the general population
through the spread of AIDS through the sharing of of dirty needles and
resulting spread to spouses and unborn children, a very lethal but not much
talked about local problem.
By last year, 205,000 Americans had contacted AIDS as a result of
contaminated syringes. Providing clean syringes to heroin addicts ("needle
exchanges") has been shown to reduce the spread of HIV/ AIDS by up to 50
percent.

Needle exchange programs have been reviewed by six different government
sponsored panels, and most recently by the National Institute of Health
Consensus Development Panel held in February 1997. These reports have shown
that Needle Exchange programs do not result in increased drug use among
participants of such programs and furthermore do not result in increased drug
use in the surrounding communities.

Importantly, Needle Exchange programs in Tacoma Washington showed an 83%
reduction in rates of hepatitis infection and in New York, the study showed a
70% reduction in HIV infection.

Yet, it technically remains criminal conduct to sell or distribute clean
syringes without a prescription in many states including Pennsylvania!
Fortunately the laws are seldom enforced and there are defenses based upon
medical necessity which have proven successful.

Tragically no local individuals or groups have had the interest or courage
to come forth to initiate a needle exchange program, despite the availability
of funding from private sources and signs of governmental open mindedness
here - as is the case in nearby Philadelphia and Baltimore and scores of
other metropolitan areas across the nation. A common excuse of those who
should be leading the needle exchange parade is fear that their other funding
would be cut off which I consider highly unlikely. Polls show at least half
of Americans favor needle exchanges and no rational community funder would
want to stir up half of its contributors.

I realize that some people figure that AIDS only effect "marginal" members
of society and so they need not concern themselves. Will they only wake up
when the their children and loved ones become infected through secondary
contact?

Clean needles for heroin addicts is as good a public policy as is currently
available to us. Lancaster needs to catch up with the rest of the nation.
All we need are a few compassionate volunteers dedicated to making this a
better and safer world.

Robert E. Field