San Diego Council Committee Advances Clean-Needle Proposal

By a 3-2 vote on Wednesday, the San Diego Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee backed a one-year pilot program to give clean needles to intravenous drug users. If approved by City Council, the privately financed program will use a motor home to distribute syringes in neighborhoods chosen because of high rates of STDs and drug-related arrests. The program was recommended by a task force -- comprised of doctors, health care workers, city officials and police -- appointed by council a year ago. "It's very rare in our lifetimes that we're going to be given this opportunity to save someone's life, and I certainly am not going to shirk that responsibility," said Councilmember Donna Frye. Councilmember George Stevens opposed the measure: "Those persons who are on drugs, who are using needles, they should just say no to drugs and change their life."

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