U.S. House permits needle exchange programs

House permits needle exchange programs

U.S. needle exchange history

Finally!  Albeit 20 years – and many, many, many thousands of deaths – late.  Still better late than never.  Hopefully a harbinger of more good changes to come.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi commented:

Sound science is an essential component of good public health policy, and the scientific support for needle exchange could not be more clear. The Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes for Health, the World Health Organization, and former Surgeon General David Satcher have all confirmed the scientific evidence in support of needle exchange programs. These initiatives are an effective public health intervention that reduces the number of new HIV infections without increasing the use of illegal drugs.
– The Gavel