Papers review findings emanating from the May 18-19 conference on 'Needle Sharing Among Intravenous Drug Abusers: National and International Perspectives' held in Bethesda, Maryland. Topics include epidemiological data regarding AIDS and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among intravenous drug abusers in the United States and Europe and drug abuse and injection practices among intravenous drug abusers in New York City, San Francisco, and the Southwest region of the United States. Papers address the implications of drug policy in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, for controlling needle sharing, the influence of AIDS upon drug use practices in the United Kingdom, and that country's efforts to make sterile injection equipment readily available. Additional papers focus on the implications for AIDS prevention among intravenous drug abusers in France; review of Federal and State laws regulating the availability and use of hypodermic needles and syringes within the U.S.; and consider implications of legislation and enforcement practices for the prevention of AIDS transmission. It was recommended that communities across the United States implement programs to educate addicts about their risk for AIDS and ways to reduce it and that resources be expanded so drug abuse treatment is readily available.