Some addicts who took the free needles even went into treatment and stopped drugs altogether.

Without the free needles, he is certain people will still use the same amount of drugs.

But even if the project succeeds, he said, free needles can only be a small part of the answer.

Your Government would like to give you a free needle but doesn't have the courage to do it.

The free needles were less likely to become contaminated than those used on the street or in drug shooting galleries.

That suggests to us that free needles will be used.

But I think free needles just would not work.

Studies show that recipients of free needles are less likely to share them.

"And if providing free needles will stop it, that's fine."

They see free needles as the lure to get more people into treatment.