Lewiston becomes latest Maine city to restrict syringe service programs

Lewiston will become the state’s largest municipality to restrict syringe service programs, after a majority of voters on Tuesday opted to pass a referendum to bring back needle exchange limits.

The successful citizen initiative reinstitutes a one-for-one needle exchange, mandating that syringe service providers can’t distribute more than 20 sterile syringes per person each day. It also prohibits mobile exchange units and requires exchange programs to operate from one location.

More than 8,200 voters supported the restrictions and 5,700 opposed them, despite a coalition of public health experts, doctors and advocates campaigning against them. Research has shown that syringe service programs help in harm reduction and curb the spread of infectious diseases. The restrictions come as Penobscot County to the north has an active HIV outbreak — primarily among people who are unhoused or who use intravenous drugs — that reached 50 cases, as of Thursday.

Eryn Soule, a former city councilor who led the effort to limit syringe service programs, told Maine Morning Star, “it’s a win for Lewiston and all involved.”

“It’s a fair balance for public health,” added Soule, who on Tuesday lost an independent bid for Maine Senate. “All services (and) programs are still available just as before.”

Earlier this year, the Maine Legislature rejected proposals to limit these programs statewide. Maine removed one-for-one limits on needle exchanges in 2022, adopting new rules that allowed participants to bring in one used syringe in exchange for 100 clean ones. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services has backed the expanded program, saying limits on clean needles are not “supported by evidenced based practice, would limit access, and increase infectious disease transmission risk including HIV and Hepatitis C,” according to legislative testimony by Maine CDC Director Dr. Puthiery Va.

But some local officials — citing concerns about discarded syringes littering streets, parks and sidewalks — have pushed for stricter limits on these programs. 

Sanford passed similar limits, last December opting to temporarily halt needle distribution for a year. Portland city councilors rejected a proposal attempting to bring back a one-for-one limit in 2024, later introducing a needle buyback program to address syringe litter. Portland Public Health Director Bridget Rauscher said last year the initiative has helped reduce syringe litter by 76% and also resulted in a 58% increase in used syringe return.