Richard Gephardt: “this is, to put it simply, a public health issue. If we are to fight against drugs and drug use and against further…”

“this is, to put it simply, a public health issue. If we are to fight against drugs and drug use and against further cases of HIV, we have to ask local governments and scientists to help us with the best way to bring about the prevention of both of those occurrences. And what the best scientists have told us and what some local and private agencies tell us, is that this kind of program gives us the best chance to both prevent further cases of HIV and to prevent further drug use. What we know from experience in many local jurisdictions is that if people are brought into a drug prevention and drug treatment program, they can be gotten off of their addiction. We know that drug use is an addictive disease and the way to get people to not be addicted is to get them into drug treatment, and we know that these programs are the way in many, many cases we can get people into drug treatment. Mr. Speaker, this is a doubleheader victory. We can prevent drug use, stop drug use, and prevent HIV, both of which have huge costs for our society. This is a matter of common sense and good judgment. Mr. Speaker, I say to the Members today, why should the Federal Government be telling local governments and jurisdictions and private agencies that they should not do something that they feel is working?”