NCJ Number
128122
Journal
PAACNOTES Volume: 3 Issue: 4 Dated: (1991) Pages: 164-172,185
Editor(s)
G Nary
Date Published
1991
Length
10 pages
Annotation
A number of information sources are compiled to present an overview of the views of various drug abuse and AIDS experts on the nature and prevention of HIV transmission through intravenous drug use.
Abstract
A summary of a report by the National Commission on AIDS presents recommendations for expanded drug abuse treatment, removal of the legal barriers to the purchase and possession of drug-injection equipment, Federal leadership in the development and maintenance of programs to prevent HIV transmission through intravenous drug use, and additional research on the relationships between drug use and HIV transmission. A transcript of an interview with Don DesJarlais, director of research at the chemical dependency unit of Beth Israel Hospital in New York City, contains suggestions for increasing the use of sterile needles by intravenous drug users. A report on the Conference on AIDS, Substance Abuse and the Latino/a Community includes comments by a Hispanic drug user who has AIDS, representatives of the Federal Government, and professionals active in drug treatment and the treatment of AIDS. Conference comments include criticisms of the Federal "war on drugs" that emphasizes a punitive criminal justice strategy instead of a public health treatment strategy. The general absence of research and strategies that address the twin problems of AIDS and drug abuse in Hispanic populations is noted. A report on the "war on drugs" consists of a transcript of an interview with Suzi Rodriquez, director of drug abuse programs at AltaMed Health Services in East Los Angeles. She criticizes the failure of the "war on drugs" to address the underlying causes of drug abuse among members of the underclass and its link with AIDS transmission.