AIDS: A Congressional panel endorsed the implementation of needle exchange programs (NEPs) that provide access to clean needles and syringes to injection drug users. However, experts are recommending that NEP advocates proceed without Federal funds or approval. It is unlikely that Congress will lift current NEP bans because the programs send mixed messages about drug use. Congressional panel chair Lincoln Moses, professor of statistics at Stanford University, reports that NEPs reduce the spread of HIV and do not increase injection drug use. In fact, these programs often result in increased referrals to substance abuse treatment programs. Many of the NEPs in the U.S. currently operate illegally under state paraphernalia and prescription laws. The panel recommends repealing these laws and lifting the ban on Federal NEP funding. A plan for the disposal of used needles needs to be designed.