Needle scheme opposed

Press, 1 June 1988, Page 6

Needle scheme opposed

PA Wellington The National Society on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence yesterday voiced strong opposition to the national needle and syringe exchange scheme for providing “addicts with the instruments of their addiction.”

The chairman of the society’s treatment committee, Dr Jean Bryson, said providing intravenous drug users with needles

and syringes was sending them a mixed message. “To provide addicts with needles is to both encourage their addiction and give tacit approval to their illegal drug use,” Dr Bryson said.

The exchange programme, which began two weeks ago, allows drug users to buy for $9 a needle and syringe exchange pack with information on A.I.D.S. and a packet of condoms. The pack is $3 cheaper if any used needle or syringe is returned.

Dr Bryson said the society’s question was where would the other nine needles be thrown? "Discarded needles will pose a serious danger to

the community with children discovering and playing with them, with the inevitable consequence of infection.

"Shouldn’t we be concentrating on treating these people rather than encouraging their drug use? Addicts require treatment not needles and condoms.” Dr Bryson said the link

between intravenous drug users and positive antibody tests for the A.I.D.S. virus was very low and did not warrant such a drastic measure as a needle swap project. The latest Health Department figures, as at April 29, showed 76 cases of A.I.D.S. in New Zealand. Of these, 67 or 88 per cent were homosexual and two were intravenous drug users — these two people were also homosexual.