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.
Only three needle exchanges have been permitted to operate in the city under a 1997 law, but if the mayor gives his stamp of approval to the new policy, an unlimited number would be allowed in areas zoned for medical offices. The ordinance also would remove a 1,000-foot buffer between the sites and any schools or day cares.
The council approved the ordinance 8-5.
In explaining his “yes” vote, Councilman Paul Kashmann said the existing distancing requirements don’t help in needed addiction recovery efforts.
“I don’t believe that if this bill passes — and it’s signed by our mayor — that anything is going to change in your life,” Kashmann said. “Unless one of your relatives who’s on the edge happens to get a clean needle and stays alive long enough to get into treatment.”
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 either sign or veto the ordinance.
Needle exchange sites offer a place for drug users to dispose of used needles, pick up clean ones, and learn about mental health and addiction treatment options. Drugs aren’t legally allowed to be consumed or sold at the centers. They’re 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 that now operate are the Harm Reduction Action Center in Capitol Hill, the Colorado Health Network in Uptown and a mobile-only site called LifePoint.
Supporters of the policy, including some of the council’s most progressive members, pointed to data showing that drug users who visit needle exchange programs are much more likely to seek treatment than those who don’t. They see the programs as a way to prevent accidental overdoses, which have soared in the city in recent years.
Opponents on the council said that while they see the benefit of the sites and support some expansion, they want to see some guardrails. Several said while they would vote in favor of an increase in the cap, they didn’t want to see the distancing requirement removed.
Watson, who initially voted in favor of the bill last week, voted against the bill Monday.
“Needle exchange does work,” Watson said in the meeting. “Our communities have been clear … that removing the distance restriction is something that 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. Those standards would then be considered part of their licensing requirements.
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