Political Quotes

On the recordSeptember 11, 1997
I was in Switzerland. The heroin movement in Switzerland, the heroin giveaway programs in Switzerland did not start out with giveaway heroin programs. They started out with free needle exchanges, started out with free needle exchanges in heroin in places like Needle Park and downtown Zurich. My concern is that, yes, science says maybe there is a hedge on HIV. Others studies show that there is not. But I think that this is a place where we have to debate what we feel is right and wrong and what this country feels is right and wrong. I think the majority of my constituents and certainly the majority of people across this country feel that it is wrong to give free needles out to heroin users which really encourage the use of heroin among our youth and our children.
Said by
Dennis Hastert
Illinois

Editor's note · Context

Discussing the implications of needle exchange programs and heroin use during a committee meeting.

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