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We should hate the sin but love the sinner. Of course we are shocked by the scale of drug addiction scourging our societies in the Western world. It is a horrendous problem that seems to be getting out of hand. Many of the ills of modern life can be put down to drug abuse. Those who are hooked on substances are unable to work, so turn to crime in a desperate bid to fund their habit. They seem stuck in a downward spiral. We tend to look down on drug addicts as no gooders who do not deserve our sympathy or help. A more understanding attitude would surely be, 'There but for the grace of God go I'. Young people are open to all sorts of temptations as they grow up. Some are strong enough to resist, others fall into the traps awaiting them. We still have a duty to look after them - they are still somebody's son or daughter, or even mother or father.

As well as the personal issue, we also have to protect the rest of society. If users are injecting themselves with infected needles, then virulent diseases such as HIV and hepatitis are going to spread almost unchecked. We cannot afford to let more of our young people disappear in such a hideous way. We need to fight against these dreadful conditions with all our might. Providing free clean needles helps to halt the spread of AIDS and other diseases. That way it will save countless lives. As well as human lives, it will also save the nation millions in money - the cost of treating an epidemic of AIDS is not cheap.
To conclude, the Government is responsible for looking after the health of the nation. By providing free needles, it is doing its bit to stop the spread of AIDS and other diseases and saving money in the long term. But it must also fund drug education programs to try to stop the out of control drug abuse threatening to destroy our society,

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