[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 155 (Tuesday, December 6, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CHEMICAL ADDICTION AND THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS

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                            HON. JIM RAMSTAD

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2005

  Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize last week's World 
AIDS Day and draw attention to the troubling relationship between 
chemical dependency and the spread of HIV/AIDS.
  In addition to the implicit dangers associated with intravenous drug 
use, use of illicit drugs and/or alcohol abuse can lead to poor 
decisions and unsafe sexual behavior that can result in HIV infection.
  America's youth, our most precious resource, are at especially high 
risk since adolescents face increased vulnerability to chemical 
addiction. Studies show that 50 percent of the individuals addicted to 
illicit drugs begin using drugs when they are between 15 and 18 years 
old.
  That's why the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) views drug 
abuse prevention and treatment as essential to stopping the spread of 
HIV infection, especially for America's young people.
  And while NIDA is an excellent resource that provides some of the top 
research in the area of chemical addiction, it is equally invested in 
educating the public about this public health problem. That's why, in 
conjunction with World AIDS Day, NIDA is initiating a new public 
awareness campaign about the dangerous relationship between addiction 
and the spread of HIV/AIDS.
  As co-chair of the Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus, I want 
to congratulate NIDA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for 
developing this life-saving campaign and commend these fine 
organizations for the tremendous research they are doing. This 
educational campaign and impeccable research will help us to better 
understand and prevent the devastating connection between chemical 
addiction and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

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