Part I: Mitchell S. Rosenthal, Part II: Joseph Farah

In Part I of the following two-part viewpoint, Mitchell S. Rosenthal argues that needle exchange programs, which enable injection drug users to replace used needles with sterile ones, have not been proven effective in controlling the spread of HIV infection. Furthermore, he asserts, needle exchange programs will not slow the spread of the AIDS virus through sexual contact between drug users and their partners. In Part II, Joseph Farah contends that needle exchange programs tacitly condone drug use. Funds spent on needle exchange programs would be better used for research on finding a cure for AIDS, he maintains. Rosenthal is president of Phoenix House, a drug rehabilitation agency, and chairman of the New York State Advisory Council on Substance Abuse. Farah is...