Vanderbilt Television News Archive

(Studio: Tom Brokaw) Report introduced.

(NYC: Robert Bazell) Heroin addict Jeff Schiffler shown prior to his AIDS death. NYC's majority of new AIDS cases said to be drug abusers. Addicts dying of AIDS shown. Statistics of addicts with AIDS shown. Addicts shown shooting heroin. [New York City health commissioner Dr. Stephen JOSEPH - discusses way heterosexuals get the disease from drug abusers.] Children said contracting AIDS from mother who gets it from father, drug abuser; scenes shown. Shortage of drug programs discussed. [Drug ABUSERS - say will continue to shoot drugs while they wait to get into a program.] [Beth Israel Hospital Dr. Robert NEWMAN - cites thousands of drug abusers spreading AIDS who want help and cannot get it.] Lack of federal monies allocated for drug rehabilitation programs cited as problem. [JOSEPH - says after he heard about war on drugs, money was cut off.] Drug programs and lack of progress in arresting drug use/spread of AIDS discussed. Providing free needles noted being highly criticized. Poor success rate and distribution of free needles to stop AIDS spread mentioned. [New York City special narcotics prosecutor Sterling JOHNSON - says free needles make instrument of addiction more readily available &AIDS will still be spread in a community.] [WOMAN - asks girl if she cleans her needle every time.] San Francisco, California, program giving away bottles of bleach to clean needles discussed; scenes shown. Children with AIDS being examined by doctors shown.