Home World News Denver approves expansion of needle exchange law, allowing more locations

Denver approves expansion of needle exchange law, allowing more locations

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Denver approves expansion of needle exchange law, allowing more locations

More needle exchange programs could soon be allowed in Denver, after the City Council on Monday approved a new ordinance paving the way for them.

Under a 1997 law, only three needle exchange businesses are allowed in the city, but if the mayor approves the new policy, an unlimited number would be allowed in areas designated for medical offices. The ordinance would also remove a 1,000-foot buffer between the sites and any schools or daycares.

The council approved ordinance 8-5.

In explaining his “yes” vote, Councilman Paul Kashmann said existing distancing requirements do not help with the necessary addiction recovery efforts.

“I don’t believe that if this bill passes — and it’s signed by our mayor — anything in your life will change,” Kashmann said. “Unless one of your relatives who is on the edge happens to get a clean needle and survives long enough to be treated.”

Council members Flor Alvidrez, Kevin Flynn, Amanda Sawyer, Darrell Watson and Diana Romero Campbell voted “no.”

Mayor Mike Johnston, who has expressed skepticism about the proposal, has five days to sign or veto the ordinance.

Needle exchange sites provide drug users with a place to drop off used needles, pick up clean needles, and learn about mental health and addiction treatment options. Drugs cannot legally be consumed or sold at the centers. They are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a way to prevent the spread of disease and reduce the impact of drug use on communities.

City officials don’t know how many providers would be interested in opening exchange sites once the cap is lifted. The three needle exchange programs now operating are the Harm Reduction Action Center in Capitol Hill, the Colorado Health Network in Uptown and a mobile site called LifePoint.

Supporters of the policy, including some of the council’s most progressive members, pointed to data showing that drug users who attend needle exchange programs are much more likely to seek treatment than those who do not. They see the programs as a way to prevent accidental overdoses, which have skyrocketed in the city in recent years.

Opponents on the council said that while they see the benefit of the locations and support some expansion, they would like to see some guardrails. Several people said that while they would vote in favor of increasing the limit, they did not want the distance requirement to be eliminated.

Watson, who initially voted for the bill last week, voted against it on Monday.

“Needle exchange works,” Watson said at the meeting. “Our communities have been clear … that lifting the distancing restriction is something they do not support.”

The centers are licensed by the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment and undergo regular inspections. Under the revised ordinance, the programs would be required to enter into “good neighbor agreements” with surrounding communities. These standards would then be considered part of their licensing requirements.

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