Needle plan wins backing

SPRINGFIELD - The city's Public Health Council voted 7-4 last night to recommend the mayor and City Council approve the adoption of a needle- exchange program.

The vote of the council, which advises and is appointed by the mayor, followed an hour-long discussion that included comments from one proponent of needle exchange and two opponents.

Needle exchange is the process of providing clean intravenous drug needles to users in exchange for used, or dirty, needles.

Supporters said the process can save lives by getting infected needles off the street and reducing the spread of blood-borne diseases such as HIV-AIDS and hepatitis C.

"It's proven to significantly reduce HIV rates," said Jon E. Zibbell of Leverett, of the Springfield Users Council.

Opponents said having the city provide needles sends the message the city approves of illegal drug use.

"I just don't feel that it would be a good thing, not in Springfield. I would hope people would honor people's wishes. We don't want it," said Marie Crenshaw of State Street, a member of Citizens Against Needle Exchange.

The City Council is expected to consider needle exchange in the next several weeks, but chances of adoption remain slim. Most of the nine councilors and Mayor Charles V. Ryan are opposed.

The program would be state-funded like the four existing ones in Massachusetts in Northampton, Boston, Cambridge and Provincetown.

Council members who voted to recommend needle exchange were: Helen R. Caulton-Harris, who is also director of the city Department of Health and Human Services; Dr. Paul Hetzel, an oncologist; Dr. Jeffrey Scavron, medical director of the Brightwood Health Center; Hamilton Wray; Aimee Munnings; Joel Cohen and Timothy Allen.

Scavron said offering clean needles to drug users won't eliminate AIDS, but it's a success if it just cuts the number of cases.

"We do it to stop the spread of a fatal infection," he said.

Voting no were: Dr. Thomas J. Manning, a dentist and the council chairman; Josephine Sears; registered nurse Patricia Triggs; and Gloria Wilson.

Triggs asked why someone who uses questionable judgment by shooting drugs could be counted on to participate in a needle-exchange program.

"The reality is we have got to be able to justify this program," she said.

Four members of the 15-member council were absent from the meeting at the Meline Kasparian Professional Development Center, 60 Alton St.