Supervisors on AIDS Prevention

Regarding your editorial “AIDS: Getting It Wrong” (Sept. 6):

The street junkie has as much interest in clean needles and bleach as he has in learning calculus. His attention span on any subject except where his next fix is coming from can be measured in milliseconds. Most sophisticated users are aware of the inherent danger and do not require education.

The issue isn’t the cost of needles and bleach. Such a program will require a bureaucracy of administrators, managers, statisticians, clerks and other personnel ad infinitum. Once established, it will be like all other bureaucracies and continue to grow until the cost of each needle and bottle of bleach will become astronomical.

The supervisors acted responsible in turning down this proposal.

JOHN C. MARTIN

Palmdale