Public Needle Exchange Devastates Community

Public needle exchanges as advocated by your Feb. 19 editorial “Bottom Line: Needle Exchange Saves Lives” aren’t the answer to AIDS. The benefits are far outweighed by the consequences.

I have been a very vocal opponent of public needle exchange programs in Hollywood. I believe we should have a sense of moral outrage, because they are illegal, they are destructive to the community and because they just don’t work as we are led to believe.

When the needle exchange program came to Hollywood, it began quietly and without any public announcement. But the negative impact to our community was soon apparent. Police reported used needles, or “points” (their street name) showing up in sandboxes in parks and schools across the street from the exchange. Should one child get pricked by a dirty needle, AIDS infection could result.

Drug addicts from neighboring communities began coming into the area. Hollywood’s sense of dignity and community was being attacked. Our laws were being broken before our eyes with the support of our elected officials. Would such a sight be tolerated in Beverly Hills? Would you want this going on in your neighborhood, on your street corner? Of course not.

In candid conversations, the drug users said they exchanged their dirty needles for clean ones, and then went back and shared the new needles, thereby erasing any prophylactic benefit. They also collected dirty needles and sold them to other users.

Your editorial speaks of the effort to “sidestep” state law to distribute needles. What kind of message does this send? Laws are not made arbitrarily, but for a reason. State law says that any needle exchange program must be made indoors under proper medical supervision. This makes sense. If a needle exchange program is to work, such a controlled and responsible environment is critical.

Even one of Mayor Richard Riordan’s requirements is that counseling accompany any exchange. That’s being ignored. Drug users are given their clean-needles package, a hug and a cup of coffee and are sent on their way.

Hollywood residents gathered thousands of signatures asking their representatives, including City Councilman John Ferraro, to stop supporting these illegal procedures. We were ignored.

It took the courage of individual residents, performing citizen’s arrests, to push the needle exchanges off the streets. Citizens shouldn’t have to fight so hard for laws to be respected by elected officials.

LINDA W. LOCKWOOD

Los Angeles

Lockwood is a candidate for the Los Angeles City Council.