Subject: Clinton hit by his own AIDS Council
From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 7 Jul 1996 19:58:07 -0400

ACT UP Washington Media Alert
contact Steve Michael or Wayne Turner at 202.547.6780
Clinton hit on Needle Exchange failure...
     ...By his own AIDS Council
embargoed until 12 Midnight Eastern Daylight Time    Monday July 8, 1996

 President Clinton's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS has harsh criticism of the
Administration's response to the AIDS epidemic in its 'Progress Report',
dated June 7, and due to be officially released by Health and Human Services
Secretary Donna Shalala during the Vancouver International AIDS Conference.
 The Report has surprised AIDS activists for its candor, particularly since
the Council is comprised of political appointees replacing the earlier,
bi-partisan National Commission on AIDS.  
 While praising Clinton for delivering on the easier Council recommendations,
such as holding a White House AIDS conference, "the Council is disappointed
with the Administration's lack of action on some of our recommendations,
particularly regarding some of the more politically charged aspects of
prevention and discrimination where greater courage and leadership are
required."
 Specifically, the Council blasts the Administration's refusal to lift a 1993
ban on federal funding for needle exchange programs, stating, "The Council
continues to have grave concerns that Federal policy regarding needle
exchange programs is not consistent with current knowledge and understanding
regarding the impact of such programs on HIV prevention efforts."
 The US Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention urged in 1993 that the
President lift the federal needle exchange ban following the publication of
the definitive study on US, Canadian, and European programs. 
 In fact, President Clinton, while campaigning for votes in California in
1992, promised in a full-page ad in Frontiers magazine to "allow federal
money to be used for condom distribution and needle exchange where local
communities approve."   Four years later, the ban remains, while over 50% of
new HIV infections can be traced to injection drug use.
 ACT UP Washington spokesman Steve Michael, who is HIV positive, states, "How
many men, women, and children are now HIV positive, or have AIDS, because of
Clinton's cowardice?  Needle exchange saves lives.  Donna Shalala knows it,
and is willing to let people die."
 "Across the street from the White House, drug users are shooting up all the
time in Lafayette Park.  HIV is spreading under Clinton's very nose, yet he
won't release those federal funds because he's more concerned about winning
reelection than saving lives."  adds Michael.
 ACT UP members have been hounding Clinton for four years to deliver on his
1992 AIDS commitments.  States Wayne Turner from ACT UP Washington, DC,
"There is no easy way out.  It takes firm, decisive leadership to fight the
war on AIDS.  And its not coming from Bill Clinton."

Full copys of the report and/or the executive summary are available by
contacting ACT UP at AIDSVoter or calling 202.547.6780