Peter Beilenson, interviewed by Will Van Sant

In the following viewpoint, Peter Beilenson asserts that needle-exchange programs, in which sterile needles are distributed to heroin addicts, help prevent the transmission of the AIDS virus. According to Beilenson, needle-exchange programs have been especially effective in Baltimore, Maryland, because AIDS cases in that city are caused primarily by intravenous drug users sharing dirty needles. He contends that by reducing the transmission of the virus, the Baltimore program saves the city millions of dollars in health care costs. Beilenson is Baltimore’s public health commissioner and Will Van Sant is a journalist.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Beilenson, what percentage of AIDS cases in Baltimore has been injection-drug users?
2. How much did the first four years of the Baltimore needle-exchange program...