House Dems Reverse Obama, Remove Ban On Needle Exchange Funding

[Cane2theLeft]

This is not the general welfare of the united states. This is the specific welfare of those IV drug users who choose to share needles instead of buying new ones.

What about kids of IV drug users? What if your brother or sister slept with an IV drug user or former user and contracted AIDs? You'd rather they get sick and die than a TINY amount of your tax dollars going to this?

Your idealism is admirable but be pragmatic, you are going to pay the same amount in taxes whether the government funds NEPs or not, so you'd rather that money go to TARP or buying more Apache helicopters that doing something that has been proven to drastically reduce the spread of certain diseases?

I completely agree with what you are saying about personal responsibility but I think as a society we need to look at issues like drug use and do everything we can to contain the harm they produce. Education is a big step but insufficient, I think government funded NEPs not only help drug users but help protect the rest of society FROM drug users.

 

[PepperSocks]

Although I support making clean needles readily and easily available to anybody who chooses to IV their drugs, I don't think that government should be using tax payer money to buy and supply them to people. If somebody wants to buy needles, they should be able to. But I think it's entirely inappropriate for government to be purchasing needles and distributing them. If you can justify government funding for clean needles, then I want government to also provide me with clean ecstasy pills containing only MDMA and no adulterants.

As an MDMA enthusiast who lives in an area where only pills are available this resonates with me BUT I don't expect the government to provide the drug itself. They should implement the exact same drug testing system that they have in Holland. We would be able to drop off our drug (E pill, acid tab, chunk of coke...) to a lab and get it qualitatively and quantitatively tested.

As a one-up on Holland they could even seize adulterated ecstasy pills in busts but let the people selling clean MDMA to continue providing their service.

 

[FrostyMcFailure]

House Democrats have reversed a decision by President Obama and removed a ban on federal funding for needle-exchange programs that he included in the 2010 budget. Including the ban broke a campaign pledge and the flip-flop set off outrage in the gay community and among HIV/AIDS activists. Twenty-six activists were arrested Thursday in the Capitol protesting the policy.

Gee, what a great man Obama is shaping out to be. Im oh soo glad this was the "change" all the peons believed in.

 

[yearofthaboomerang]

like methadone and heroin and suboxone clinics?

and some individuals CANNOT afford habits/needles/FOOD because of, simply, where they were born. capitalism necessitates this

But.....if they can't afford it, they shouldn't have a habit.....right? Or am I missing something here?

 

[DaBricks]

Who here has ever had a real heroin problem and could afford it??? Funny anyway I say Obama is shaping up like every other Pres that the rich aristocratic buisnessmen have put out there for us to "VOTE" for. Now I can get my rigs but the popo can arrest me right after sweet.

 

[qwe]

But.....if they can't afford it, they shouldn't have a habit.....right? Or am I missing something here?

they cannot afford it because it is illegal in the first place