Comment on Needle Exchanges

I made this comment on a classmate's blog, TX Government: A breed of its own

I too was initially against needle exchanges. Handing out clean needles to drug addicts seemed like encouraging them to continue their habit. But if what is being done now is not solving the problem, there should be a change. It is true that these types of programs reduce the spread of diseases such as HIV and AIDs, but it goes further than that. These types of programs can be the first step towards rehabilitation. Needle exchanges bring drug users into contact with drug rehab info and programs that they might have otherwise avoided.