The Nation - News from Sept. 20, 1989

The national AIDS commission, concerned that President Bush’s anti-drug strategy makes too little mention of AIDS, agreed to draft a statement calling for treatment of drug addicts in preventing the spread of AIDS. The statement will reaffirm a call by the previous AIDS commission formed by President Ronald Reagan for drug treatment on demand as a national goal, said Dr. June Osborn, chairwoman of the new panel. The AIDS virus can be spread through sharing of needles by drug users. The new AIDS panel, created by Congress last year but not fully constituted until this summer, will not recommend a specific amount of funds for drug treatment, Osborn, dean of the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, said.