Needle exchange programs: weighing public health against social criticism

¶ … Clean Needles Benefit Society, two arguments are that needle exchange programs work, and they are more cost-effective for taxpayers. The premises are that needles spread HIV / AIDS, and offering clean, sterile needles, helps control the spread of these diseases. In addition, HIV / AIDS treatments are very expensive, and by controlling the spread of the disease with clean needles, it actually saves taxpayers money. The conclusions are that clean needle programs work and should not be criticized.

The premises of saving money and clean needles controlling the spread of AIDS do support the conclusions. The authors state studies that indicate AIDS users are often IV drug users, and the disease spreads this way, and that offering clean needles saves lives and money at the same time. These premises are reasonable, backed up with facts, and support the conclusions, that clean needles are a good idea. The decisions here were based on the facts and authority contained in the article.

In "Programs Don't Make Sense," the two arguments are that offering clean needles is a stupid policy, and that it facilitates deviant behavior. The premises of the arguments are that the people getting needles are junkies, and giving them free needles to fight AIDS does not fight their addiction. In addition, the author feels that giving out free needles only encourages illegal drug use, instead of acting on the underlying problem of drug addiction. The conclusions are that these programs are stupid and encourage drug use. In the author's mind, the premises support the conclusions, but the author does not use hard facts or studies to back up his comments, and so, they are not as solid as the other article.