What position was stated by the National Catholic Conference of Bishops on a needle exchange program?

Question

Also, what is the Catholic Conference of Bishops view on substance abuse?

Answer 1

The National Conference of Catholic Bishops in their 1990 document "Called to Compassion and Responsibility: A Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis" calls for increased government support for outreach and drug treatment programs but has issues with sterile needle distribution programs:

Although some argue that distribution of sterile needles should be promoted, we question this approach for both moral and practical reasons:

+ More drug use might result while fewer intravenous drug users might seek treatment.

+ Poor monitoring could lead to the increased spread of HIV infection through the use of contaminated needles.

+ Distribution of sterile needles and syringes would send message that intravenous drug use can be made safe. But IV drug users mutilate and destroy their veins, introduce infection through contaminated skin, inject substances that often contain lethal impurities, and risk death from overdoses.

A better approach to the drug epidemic would be increased government support for outreach and drug treatment programs.

http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/ctoresp.shtml

With love in Christ.