1.   Congress has banned the use of federal funds for programs that distribute clean needles to drug users.

2.   Distributing needles to drug users is against state law.

3.   Over the protest of some residents, St. Petersburg Governor Vladimir Yakovlev has supported a program that distributes clean needles to drug users to prevent the spread of disease.

4.   The final amendment would prohibit the use of federal money to carry out or promote programs that distribute sterile needles for illegal drug use.

5.   The group is working out details of where and how they will distribute the needles.

6.   Parker said he plans to return in April and distribute needles, ignoring the possibility of being arrested.

7.   Kingma praised Swiss authorities for a one-year experiment distributing clean needles to drug-using inmates at an all-women prison.