Richard Lake
For Immediate Release - December 7, 1999
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DrugSense News Release
"Judge Judy" Urged To Retract Statement "Let Drug Users Die"
Comments Called "Irresponsible" and "Will Lead to Spread of AIDS"
DrugSense, a non profit corporation dedicated to accurate information on drug policy issues, has called for the immediate retraction of statements made recently by "Judge Judy" Sheindlin.
In a statement before a luncheon audience at Brisbane's Carlton Crest in Australia, and recounted in the Australian newspaper "the Courier-Mail" and again in "The Age" (Australia), Sheindlin was reported to have said (referring to drug users) "Give them all dirty needles and let them die." and "I don't understand why we think it's important to keep them alive." She said "the debate about needle supply to heroin addicts was led by 'liberal morons' ".
These news articles, replete with references, have been archived on the Media Awareness Project (http://www.MAPinc.org) web page. See Television Judge Judy Sheindlin Visits Brisbane URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a07.html and Australia Attack On TV Star's Drug Jibe URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a06.html
"DrugSense is outraged at these insensitive and poorly informed remarks and is demanding a public apology," said Mark Greer, Executive Director of DrugSense. "Uninformed statements and foolish attitudes such as these can no longer go unchallenged. Drug users are the last remaining minority which it is still acceptable to vilify, discount, and berate."
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the largest source of new AIDS cases is injection drug use. Half of new AIDS cases have their source in sharing of contaminated syringes. This effects not only drug users by their sexual partners and children. In the end it can lead to the spread of HIV/AIDS to whole new segments of heterosexual America.
The facts on needle exchange are clear. Needle exchange reduces the spread of HIV/AIDS by up to 50% and does not increase drug use. Indeed, needle exchange often leads to treatment.
Thus needle exchange is good drug policy, good AIDS policy and will save large amounts of cost to the public health system.
See more facts on syringe exchange replete with citations at: http://www.csdp.org/factbook/syringee.htm
"Judge Judy should go back and check her facts and retract her statement," urged Greer. "It is unconscionable for her to encourage policies that deem it acceptable to sit by and watch sick and troubled people die. For such words to come from a former judge and a popular TV celebrity is simply outrageous."
Numerous attempts to arrange for drug policy experts to meet with Judge Judy both directly, and through her media relations department, were ignored according to Greer.
Sheindlin was in Australia promoting her new book "Beauty Fades, Dumb is Forever." Greer upon hearing this fact, and obviously upset with Sheindlin's inane remarks, inquired whether this book may be an autobiography.
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Additional References
See the nationally syndicated column by Ariana Huffington on this subject at:
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1295/a02.html
Drug War Facts http://www.csdp.org/factbook/
Searchable archive of more than 30,000 articles on drug policy matters http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/
Most recent Follow up Statement by Judge Judy Sheindlin http://www.judgejudy.com
--------
Contact Information
The individuals below may be contacted for further information regarding this release.
Mark Greer
Executive Director
DrugSense (MAP Inc.)
PO Box 651
Porterville,
CA 93258
(800) 266 5759
[email protected] http://www.mapinc.org http://www.drugsense.org
Tom O'Connell M.D.
195 Warren Rd.
San Mateo
CA 94401
650 348 6841 Ph/fax
[email protected]
Kevin Zeese
Common Sense For Drug Policy
3619 Tall Wood Terrace
Falls Church VA 22041
(703) 354 5694
703-354-5695 (fax)
http://www.csdp.org
Kendra Wright
Family Watch
3619 Tallwood Terrace
Falls Church
VA 22041
703-354-5694 http://www.familywatch.org/
------------------
[email protected]
http://www.bluelight.ru/
For Immediate Release - December 7, 1999
--------
DrugSense News Release
"Judge Judy" Urged To Retract Statement "Let Drug Users Die"
Comments Called "Irresponsible" and "Will Lead to Spread of AIDS"
DrugSense, a non profit corporation dedicated to accurate information on drug policy issues, has called for the immediate retraction of statements made recently by "Judge Judy" Sheindlin.
In a statement before a luncheon audience at Brisbane's Carlton Crest in Australia, and recounted in the Australian newspaper "the Courier-Mail" and again in "The Age" (Australia), Sheindlin was reported to have said (referring to drug users) "Give them all dirty needles and let them die." and "I don't understand why we think it's important to keep them alive." She said "the debate about needle supply to heroin addicts was led by 'liberal morons' ".
These news articles, replete with references, have been archived on the Media Awareness Project (http://www.MAPinc.org) web page. See Television Judge Judy Sheindlin Visits Brisbane URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a07.html and Australia Attack On TV Star's Drug Jibe URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a06.html
"DrugSense is outraged at these insensitive and poorly informed remarks and is demanding a public apology," said Mark Greer, Executive Director of DrugSense. "Uninformed statements and foolish attitudes such as these can no longer go unchallenged. Drug users are the last remaining minority which it is still acceptable to vilify, discount, and berate."
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the largest source of new AIDS cases is injection drug use. Half of new AIDS cases have their source in sharing of contaminated syringes. This effects not only drug users by their sexual partners and children. In the end it can lead to the spread of HIV/AIDS to whole new segments of heterosexual America.
The facts on needle exchange are clear. Needle exchange reduces the spread of HIV/AIDS by up to 50% and does not increase drug use. Indeed, needle exchange often leads to treatment.
Thus needle exchange is good drug policy, good AIDS policy and will save large amounts of cost to the public health system.
See more facts on syringe exchange replete with citations at: http://www.csdp.org/factbook/syringee.htm
"Judge Judy should go back and check her facts and retract her statement," urged Greer. "It is unconscionable for her to encourage policies that deem it acceptable to sit by and watch sick and troubled people die. For such words to come from a former judge and a popular TV celebrity is simply outrageous."
Numerous attempts to arrange for drug policy experts to meet with Judge Judy both directly, and through her media relations department, were ignored according to Greer.
Sheindlin was in Australia promoting her new book "Beauty Fades, Dumb is Forever." Greer upon hearing this fact, and obviously upset with Sheindlin's inane remarks, inquired whether this book may be an autobiography.
--------
Additional References
See the nationally syndicated column by Ariana Huffington on this subject at:
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1295/a02.html
Drug War Facts http://www.csdp.org/factbook/
Searchable archive of more than 30,000 articles on drug policy matters http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/
Most recent Follow up Statement by Judge Judy Sheindlin http://www.judgejudy.com
--------
Contact Information
The individuals below may be contacted for further information regarding this release.
Mark Greer
Executive Director
DrugSense (MAP Inc.)
PO Box 651
Porterville,
CA 93258
(800) 266 5759
[email protected] http://www.mapinc.org http://www.drugsense.org
Tom O'Connell M.D.
195 Warren Rd.
San Mateo
CA 94401
650 348 6841 Ph/fax
[email protected]
Kevin Zeese
Common Sense For Drug Policy
3619 Tall Wood Terrace
Falls Church VA 22041
(703) 354 5694
703-354-5695 (fax)
http://www.csdp.org
Kendra Wright
Family Watch
3619 Tallwood Terrace
Falls Church
VA 22041
703-354-5694 http://www.familywatch.org/
------------------
[email protected]
http://www.bluelight.ru/
