The Washington Post reported July 5 that after years of ignoring AIDS and persecuting drug users, the Iranian government has abandoned its zero-tolerance approach in the face of a 25-percent AIDS infection rate among hard-core heroin users, and the fact that two-thirds of Iranians who tested positive for AIDS got the disease from sharing dirty needles.

Arch-conservative Ayatollah Mohammed Esmail Shoshtari recently ordered prosecutors to defer to the nation's Health Ministry in the fight against AIDS. Iran's parliament also voted to allow any doctor to dispense methadone to addicts. "It's ironic that Iran, very fundamentalist, very religious -- very religious -- has been able to convince itself" to embrace such policies, said Bijan Nasirimanesh, who operates a drug clinic near Tehran.

Robert Newman, director of the Baron Edmond de Rothschild Chemical Dependency Institute at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, said the Iranian shift is "in very dramatic contrast to what has been happening with increasing frequency in America, where the judiciary and the criminal-justice system in general ... does not let the patients receive the treatment that the physician says is necessary."

"Before, Iran always said this is something from outside," said Hamid Reza Setayesh, the UNAIDS officer for Iran. "Now they are accepting this is not only for drug users, but growing among people who are sexually active."

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Your Turn! Post a public comment (read guidelines):

Name:
Comment: (limit 200 words)
Enter this word (help):	Change

GUIDELINES: 
To keep this feature useful for all, please:

1. Keep it clean, courteous, and on-topic. Comments are meant for thoughtful discussion of the article published above.
   
   
2. Do not post promotional links to organizations, products or services, or personal requests for assistance (get help).
   
   
3. Proof your comments carefully, use good spelling and punctuation, and don't use ALL CAPS. Comments are published immediately and cannot be edited.

Deceptive, slanderous and commercially-motivated posts are prohibited. We reserve the right to remove comments not conforming to these guidelines. (Report a comment).

Have questions or feedback? Contact us.