Christine Todd Whitman
Governor

August 5, 1998

David W. Troast
Chairperson
Governor's Advisory Council on AIDS
P.O. Box 360
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0360

Dear Mr. Troast:

I have been following the activities of the Governor's AIDS Advisory Council and want to reiterate my position on needle exchange, as well as suggest other areas where the Council's work could be helpful.

I am aware that some studies, though not all, support the conclusion that needle exchange programs reduce the transmission of HIV. As you know, l believe needle exchange programs send the wrong message to our children because they seem to condone illegal drug use and contradict our efforts to reduce illegal drug use.

I remain resolute on this issue, and I believe your valuable time would be better served focusing on education and other areas of AIDS prevention. As I understand the progress of this epidemic, minority women of reproductive age and adolescents are two groups where we can make a big difference in slowing the spread of HIV. Your ideas on how to reach these populations would be extremely useful to me.
 

Sincerely,

Christine Todd Whitman
Governor