Lewiston Residents Push for Stricter Needle Exchange Rules

Lewiston residents who say they are tired of finding used needles around the city are pushing for stricter rules on local needle exchange programs.

According to WGME, the Lewiston City Council voted Tuesday night to send a proposed amendment to voters this fall. If approved, the measure would place new limits on how needle exchanges operate in the city.

Right now, Lewiston’s needle exchange program allows participants to receive up to 100 clean needles per visit, with no daily limit. The proposed amendment would change that to a one-for-one exchange, meaning participants would need to turn in a used needle to receive a clean one. It would also cap exchanges at 20 per day, the news station reported.

The proposal would also ban mobile exchange units and require exchange programs to operate from a single fixed location.

Eryn Soule, a former Lewiston city councilor who helped lead the petition effort, says the current system has contributed to used needle litter and created public health concerns for residents.

According to Soule, 966 people signed the petition in a short amount of time. Only 941 signatures were needed to get the question on the ballot.

WGME went on to say that Soule says many residents would prefer to see the needle exchange program gone entirely, but she believes the proposed one-for-one model would help reduce the number of discarded needles in the city.

The amendment will now go before Lewiston voters in November.