Last year, in an annual spending bill that I wrote, I was able to lift a congressionally mandated ban on the District of Columbia using its own funds for syringe exchange programs. This was both a home-rule issue and a positive public health initiative. During debate on this measure, critics trotted out the tired claim that syringe exchange programs encourage drug use.
It is time to move past stale arguments and change this federal policy. To that end, I recently introduced the Community AIDS and Hepatitis Prevention Act. This legislation would reduce the spread of HIV by removing all restrictions on the use of federal funds for syringe exchange programs.
Syringe exchange programs help address issues beyond HIV-AIDS. They provide opportunities to reduce drug use; studies show that syringe exchange programs work as a gateway to other forms of intervention, including counseling, treatment and general education on risky behavior.
Many local and state governments allow and often finance needle exchange programs. As our economy sags, however, they are struggling to maintain their support. Helping them would save taxpayers money in the long run. The average lifetime health-care costs for an HIV patient are estimated at $618,900. Clean syringes cost around eight cents each.
We must keep searching for a cure for AIDS. Researchers and scientists continue to develop the medicines and expertise necessary to improve quality of life for people with HIV and to keep AIDS-related fatalities at bay. But these small victories have not happened in a vacuum — they have been extensively underwritten by the federal government.
After nearly three decades, HIV-AIDS remains a formidable enemy, but we no longer stand in fear. Our nation has developed many tools to fight it. We have the power to reduce the number of drug users who become infected with HIV. We must not let ideology stand in our way. The federal government should fund a prevention program that works.