Methamphetamine:
Souder
Attacks
HHS
for
Funding
HIV
Meth
Conference
8/19/05
Leading congressional drug warrior Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) angrily criticized the Department of Health and Human Services in a letter last Friday for allowing itself to be named as one of the "primary sponsors" of this weekend's first National Conference on HIV, Hepatitis and Methamphetamine in Salt Lake City. Souder's problem is that the conference was organized by the Harm Reduction Project, and Souder simply cannot tolerate the words "harm reduction." For the self-described Christian conservative congressman from Fort Wayne, the notion that drug users should be given needles, for instance, signals an insidious effort to undermine drug prohibition.
The Salt Lake City conference aims at reducing harm for both methamphetamine users and society at large by bringing together scientists, law enforcement, providers, and professionals to "discuss the intersection between methamphetamine use, HIV, and Hepatitis, as well as other relevant issues." HHS is kicking in $3,000 in travel scholarships for conference attendees, the Harm Reduction Project's Luciano Colonna told the Washington Times, which was leaked a copy of the Souder letter. That qualified the agency to be listed as a "primary sponsor," along with the Utah Department of Health, the Utah State Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, and the California Department of Health Services, among other governmental entities. But that was too much for Rep. Souder, who, in a letter to HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt, blasted the agency's association with harm reduction, however limited. "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," wrote Souder, chairman of the House Government Reform subcommittee on criminal justice, drug policy and human resources. Souder demanded that Secretary Leavitt respond to him by Monday afternoon to explain why HHS was involved in the conference and to provide the names and contact information for HHS personnel who planned to attend. Leavitt and HHS did not meet that deadline and have yet to respond. But while Souder was sour on the conference, it has been praised by his fellow hard-line Republican, Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, as well as by Utah Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson. And some of the very law enforcement personnel Souder alluded to will be there sharing experiences and perhaps learning some new perspectives.
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