Obama Lifts 20-Year Ban on Needle Exchange

[SOS]

HIV activists, public health experts and communities of drug users celebrated--not for what's in the appropriations bill, but for what's not in it: a ban on federal funding for needle exchange programs, which has appeared in the federal budget every year since 1988.

After two decades, this change is a historic achievement. Obama had already missed one opportunity to lift the ban, neglecting to pull it out of his budget in May. Still, that same month former Seattle chief of police Gil Kerlikowske was sworn in as the director of national drug control policy, calling for a new common-sense approach to drug addiction. When the drug czar calls for an end to the war on drugs, it's clearly the start of a new era.

Unlike during the Clinton administration, when there was only mixed support for needle exchange--in 1998, drug czar Barry McCaffrey convinced Bill Clinton to renege on his stated intention to lift the ban--all of the top brass in the Obama administration are on record in favor.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100104/schwartzapfel/print

[LostInAnomie]

1. Insert childish "Obama is a traitor!" screech {here}.

[bridgit]

2. ^

:kick:

[Echo In Light]

3. LOL...'sos' indeed

[SOS]

29. Indeed!

:)

[Scurrilous]

4. Good news.

:thumbsup:

[EFerrari]

5. Very good news. K&R

[mzmolly]

6. He's only trying to build the coffers of corporate needle manufacturers!

:sarcasm:

Edited for spelling. ;)

[grantcart]

11. lol

[goclark]

19. There he goes, messing up again

: )

This is good news

[tammywammy]

21. lol

[seeinfweggos]

24. +1000

[Hell Hath No Fury]

7. Good news, agreed.

[blondeatlast]

8. Excellent news. nt

[grytpype]

9. Wow, another bailout for Big Needle.

The mean Needle Industry is going to have a field day with this!

Did I do that right?

[goldcanyonaz]

10. Oh NOES!!! This will lead to more drug use.

:sarcasm:

[Doctor Cynic]

12. Victory for common sense!

[proud patriot]

13. Great !

:thumbsup:

[Qutzupalotl]

14. I didn't know Bush did that too.

Because everyone here is telling me Obama = Bush.
:sarcasm:

[NYC_SKP]

15. Damn Him!!11!!!

So, what is that, ONE thing he's done right? :sarcasm:

[RetroLounge]

16. Good on him

His HCR still sucks.

RL

[dionysus]

17. i remember a few months ago he was called a murderer and supporter of AIDS over this issue...

[Echo In Light]

22. Quack

[silverweb]

18. Excellent.

:thumbsup:

[kestrel91316]

20. It's about time.

[HuckleB]

23. Thank you, President Obama.

[CanonRay]

25. It's called "throwing the left a bone"

[Echo In Light]

26. Damage control ... but it's a humane effort, and that trumps the obvious PR angle/timing

[shadowknows69]

27. I give good news props where it's deserved. Bravo Mr. President.

Now get addicts help and get the DEA after the hard shit and stop wasting resources busting low level pot dealers.

[defendandprotect]

28. Great . . . now end the Drug War . . .!!!

[Echo In Light]

30. +++

http://americandrugwar.com/

[amborin]

31. great! k&r

[Odin2005]

32. YAY, good for him!

[eridani]

33. And another item to the list of good things that Obama has done

Sure wish he would do some BOLD things, though. On climate change, health care and financial regulation, we need BOLD, and are not getting it.