Needle exchange? Yeah right...

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by buttless

Here in Portland as in many other cities around the country
we have what are known as “needle exchanges“. <snip>
While they are at it they could also provide a place for these people to shoot up also?
Here is the answer plain and simple, they would rather the public at large deal with those issues.
<snip

Originally Posted by buttless

Sure the junkies and tweakers piss me off, but not as much as those who enable this kind of adherent behavior.
<snip>

There's more than just a bit of tunnel vision and short sighted-ness here.

The "they" and "those" are the same people that brought Outside-In to downtown Portland,
and who helped the community close bathhouses and change behaviors in the gay community
by distributing free condoms to the young people of Portland.

It's naive to believe the intent of these programs is to "enable" drug use.
The intent is to reduce infectious disease that comes with such behaviors...
just as are the programs run by the same "they" and "those" to reduce
infectious disease in the gay/lesbian community.

Perhaps some volunteering at one of Portland's community health centers
would give some much needed perspective.