 
July 15, 2009
California Clinics Cancel Needle Exchange as U.S. Lawmakers Revisit Ban
Open Door Community Health Centers’ clinics in Arcata and Eureka, California, have discontinued their needle exchange program this month because of a lack of resources, the Times-Standard reports. Open Door clinics in both areas exchanged more than a total of 190,000 needles in 2008.
Like most needle-exchange programs in the United States, the initiative relied on grant funding. However, available grants only offer enough funding for clean needles and not for administrative costs, said Cheyenne Spetzler, Open Door Community Health Centers’ chief operating officer.
Currently, a federal ban prohibits government money from going to needle-exchange programs. But Democrats in the House of Representatives recently introduced a provision that would lift the ban. The provision is part of a measure to fund the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services (HHS) for the next fiscal year.
“Sterile needle exchange programs are an important way to reduce the transmission of diseases,” said U.S. Representative Mike Thompson (D–Calif.).
Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R–Kan.), who is on the House Labor and HHS Appropriations subcommittee, countered: “I am very concerned that we would use federal tax dollars to support the drug habits of people who desperately need help.”
Search: California, needle exchange, Open Door Community Health Centers, Arcata, Eureka, Mike Thompson, Todd Tiahrt, HSS
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comments 1 - 2 (of 2 total)
eliza quill, unity, me, 2009-07-20 16:09:26
It's not hard to see that the politicians in Washington DC don't care about drug addicts-whether they are repubs or dems. Clinton didn't remove the ban in the 90's, and Washington DC has rates of HIV as high as 1 in every 4 people! Flippin unbelievable numbers, which didn't occur overnight or just in the last 8 years. Remember, the politicians are thick as thieves with Big Pharma--they make the drugs that are abused AND the treatments like methadone and suboxone. Where's the incentive?
Kenywi, Oakdale, Ca, 2009-07-18 18:25:51
When are people going to realize that by exchanging needles, people aren't supporting a drug habit we are preventing the spread of many deadly diseases such as hiv and hep c?
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