Hypodermics On The Charles

The state Senate approved a bill to allow drug stores to sell hypodermic needles without a prescription. Governor Mitt Romney promises a veto, which will in turn be overridden by the legislature. Politics as usual here in the Commonwealth.

The bill, aimed at curbing the transmission of HIV and hepatitis C, comes at a time when half of the HIV cases in New Bedford, Fall River, Holyoke and Worcester can be linked to IV drug abuse, according to state public health officials.

“We’re the 48th state to adopt it,” said Sen. Steven A. Tolman (D-Brighton). “We are catching up with a vengeance.” The measure would not mandate that pharmacies sell the clean needles.

The Senate voted 26-8 to approve the measure. The House passed the bill last year by a 115-37 tally. The bill requires procedural votes in both chambers before heading to Romney’s desk. It has more than the two-thirds votes necessary to override his veto.

Critics say the bill will lead to a spike in drug use and crime. “Legalizing needles is like giving matches to an arsonist. It undermines our efforts to enforce drug laws and it increases the likelihood that dirty and contaminated needles will end up on our beaches, parks and playgrounds,” said Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom.

While Massachusetts will become the 48th state to approve such a bill, can we really expect this to improve things? Let’s get serious, are junkies going to be buying needles, throwing out the dirty ones and then go out and buy more needles? These are people who will do almost anything for a fix, and we’re encouraging them to go into pharmacies and buy needles because they are clean? Do you think they care if the needles are clean? They don’t even care the effect the drugs are having on their body, and some pols on Beacon Hill think they are going to care about whether or not the needle is clean, let alone walk into a pharmacy with the rest of us and buy needles… please. Let’s assume they will buy clean needles–though I expect they won’t–can we expect a junkie to properly discard the dirty needles? Are we going to put plastic needle disposal containers around the city like we do for cigarettes? Yeah, right… that will be a gold mine for free needles for the carefree junkies who don’t care about anything but shooting up.

There is nothing good about this… but, as we have grown to accept here, Romney’s veto is about as meaningful as Rep. Patrick Kennedy spending a month in rehab–both will not change what we know to be inevitable.

Got needles?

Aaron Margolis is a life long resident of the Bay State, and works at an architectural firm north of Boston. Aaron has a Master of Architecture Degree from Boston Architectural College and is currently in the process of becoming of a Registered Architect.