Ronald Wilson Reagan

[Malacasta]

Federally funded needle exchange programs have significantly reduced the spread of HIV/AIDS without increasing the number of intravenous drug users. Countries which have had a long established NEP have HIV infection rates due to IDU's of less than 8%. Additionally, the cost of supplying a free needle exchange program is significantly less than the life time treatment of a person living with HIV. Of the 849,778 people reported to have HIV/AIDS in the US in 2002, 209,919 were exposed to the virus by intravenous drugs. This is at a minimum 3 times the rate of infection of countries using NEPs.

Countries such as England, the Netherlands and Australia have HIV infection rates at least ten times less than that of the United States. It is telling that these three countries (for which I have included some time line information below) were aggressive in introducing education campaigns (including safe sex, and not just abstinence), control of the blood supply and NEP's very early on. The record shows that public officials in these three countries, and many others, fully recognized the danger that AIDs represented at least as early as 1983.

It is ridiculous to suggest that Reagan and his government were blind to a danger that other western countries were very aware of and actively combating. The Reagan administration either lacked foresight, or was not prepared to risk the political difficulties of supporting safe gay sex and needle exchange programs, positions he was otherwise ideologically opposed.

Australia:
1983: May 17 - Aids is declared a notifiable disease in Victoria
1983: July 12 - Australian Health Minister speaks out against AIDS hysteria
1984:
- Australian Health minister states: "We face one of the most serious public health problems this country has faced since federation…".
- National Advisory Council on AIDS (NACAIDS) is formed.
- Blood Supply Tested for HIV
- Government Education campaign established.
1985:
- End of year saw 173 diagnosed cases
1987:
- Needle Exchange Program established.
- End of year saw 769 reported cases, 417 of these died.
1988:
- Condoms campaign promoted.

England:
1983: High Risk people asked not to donate blood
1984: 108 cases, 46 deaths
1986:
- Feb Needle Exchange Scheme Started.
- Government Education campaign started

Netherlands:
1984: Needle exchange program established

US:
1981: Deaths during year: 128
1982:
- Reports that disease was occurring in Haitians and hemophiliacs.
- A number of AIDS organizations were producing safer sex advice for gay men.
- 452 Cases from 23 states reported to CDC by July
- End of year saw 1285 cases. Deaths during year: 460
1983:
- Reported that Aids could be passed on from men to women
- Officers in SF began wearing rubber gloves.
- End of year saw 3064 cases. Deaths during year: 1505
1984:
- End of year saw 7899 cases. Deaths during year: 3498
1985:
Sep 17th: First mention of Aids by Reagan:
"It is true that some medical sources had said that this cannot be communicated in any way other than the ones we already know and which would not involve a child being in the school. And yet medicine has not come forth unequivocally and said, 'This we know for a fact, that it is safe.'' And until they do, I think we just have to do the best we can with this problem. I can understand both sides of it."
- End of year saw 15,948 cases. Deaths during year: 6792.
1986:
-AZT (a drug developed for cancer) becomes available as treatment for AIDS
- Deaths during year: 12,077
1987:
- Reagan’s first major speech. He states that he would support an education campaign... "as long as they teach that one of the answers to it is abstinence - if you say it's not how you do it, but that you don't do it."
- June - AIDS listed as disease that can exclude people from USA.
- 47022 cases reported. Deaths during year: 16,358
1988:
- May - Launch HIV/AIDS education campaign by Surgeon General C. Everett Koop.
- Congress prohibits the use of federal funds to support Needle Exchange programs.
- Deaths during year: 21,074
1990:
Estimated HIV and Aids cases in the US: 1 million and 200k
Estimated HIV and Aids cases in the World: over 9 million and over 1 million.
2003:
Estimated Aids deaths in the US since 1981: 465,910
Estimated Aids deaths in the world since 1981: 2.18 million