The Clinton administration's rationale for opposing federal funding for needle exchange programs.

Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, the Clinton administration's director of national drug policy, was the administration's spokesperson against federal funding of needle exchange programs.  Ignoring the medical arguments in favor of needle exchange, he argued that spending federal funds for such programs would send the wrong message to the nation's children.

Speaking from behind the scenes, President Clinton's political advisors said they feared that Congressional Republicans might push through legislation stripping federal money from groups that provide needles, even though the money was used for other purposes.⁽¹⁾

Strong statements against needle exchange programs made by some members of Congress lent some credence to the Clinton administration's position:

Such a program (needle exchange would in reality use tax dollars and the authority of the federal government to push drug paraphernalia into already drug-ravaged inner cities.  This is reckless and irresponsible.(2)

	Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)
	. . .needle exchange programs send "an intolerable message that it's time to accept drug use as a way of life." (1)
	Now Attorney General John Ashcroft speaking when  he was a Republican Senator from Missouri

Footnotes

(1) Sheryl Gay Stolberg. 1998. "Clinton decides not to finance needle program." New York Times. April 21.

(2) Associated Press. 1998. "U.S. won't fund needle exchanges." April 20.

For a list of other materials used on this website, see References.