Mark Souder, a
conservative Republican U.S. representative from Indiana,
is protesting the Department of Health and Human Services'
sponsorship of a conference examining the link between
methamphetamine use and HIV risks because the
conference promotes a harm-reduction approach to meth use
and doesn't outright condemn drug use, The Washington Times reports. Souder on Friday sent
an angry letter to HHS secretary Mike Leavitt, saying the
conference's harm-reduction messages undermine
federal antidrug policies. "That Administration
officials from your department are consulting with harm
reduction advocates and sponsoring conferences controlled by
the harm reduction network completely undermines the
work of the president, the Congress, and the men and
women who work in law enforcement across the nation
who are trying desperately to fight the meth
epidemic," Souder wrote, according to the Times.
Harm-reduction
programs provide injection-drug users with clean needles
and support methadone therapy to help reduce the risks of
transmission of blood-borne diseases like HIV and
hepatitis through the sharing of drug paraphernalia.
They also attempt to educate drug users on how to minimize
their health risks if they do continue to use illegal drugs.
The conference,
organized by the Harm Reduction Project and sponsored by
HHS, is scheduled for August 19-20 in Salt Lake City.
HHS awarded $3,000 in travel scholarships to
participants, according to the Times. Other
government agencies sponsoring the conference include
the Utah Department of Health, the Utah State Division
of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, and the California
Department of Health Services.