April 18, 2008

Condom and Syringe Vending Machines for Tehran

Iran plans to install condom and syringe vending machines in its capital city, Tehran, to prevent the spread of HIV and other viruses among drug users, Agence France-Presse/Yahoo News reports (news.yahoo.com, 4/16).

According to Mohammad Reza Jahani, deputy head of Iran’s antinarcotics organization, five machines will be placed in welfare shelters across Tehran. The condoms and syringes will be available for one 500 rial (five cents) coin.

“The machines will be used for a three-month trial period, and if the scheme is successful then we will upgrade them and increase their distribution to other shelters,” said Jahani.

Iranian officials say the country has a serious drug-abuse problem, according to the AFP: out of a population of about 71 million, there are about 2 million regular users in the country.

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Gary, Jacksonville, FL, 2008-04-22 12:36:31
I tip my hat to them for being realistic, progressive and proactive. Now if we could just convince Washington to do the same. People are going to do what they do, regardless. So it makes sense to have them protected best they can be.