This story was published by Spectrum News. View the story online through the link below or read a snippet copied from the article, below.
Lewiston passes needle exchange ordinance, but without 1-to-1 rule
The Lewiston City Council voted to finalize an ordinance governing needle exchange programs Tuesday , but many councilors agreed that they need to do more work on it in the future.
“While not everybody is completely satisfied with everything that’s in here, It is the product of both compromise and looking forward to reducing some of the issues we’ve been experiencing in the city previously,” said Councilor Joshua Nagine.
The council passed the ordinance 5-2, with Councilors Susan Longchamps and Timothy Gallant voting no. The vote marks the end of nearly a year of debate, workshops and public meetings on the ordinance’s details.
The ordinance sets restrictions on needle exchange programs promoted by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention that allow people to bring in used needles in exchange for clean ones.
Advocates have said that the exchange cuts down on the number of reused needles, which in turn reduces the spread of diseases such as HIV.
…
