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Tempe staff say syringe-exchange activity will be prohibited in parks under the draft code; resident cites CDC evidence in opposition
Summary
During the presentation and Q&A, staff said needle/syringe exchange in parks is proposed to be prohibited; a resident urged the city to continue syringe-exchange programs and cited CDC research; staff said the prohibition responds to observed negative impacts in parks.
A point of contention at the outreach meeting concerned syringe-exchange programs. Resident David asked whether the city would continue to allow syringe exchange in parks, noting public-health research he summarized from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "there's 30 years of research that syringe exchange programs are safe, effective, cost-saving, and they reduce the transmission of HIV and hepatitis by 50%," he said.
Craig Heaton responded that the city has seen "significant negative impacts with needle distribution within our parks and our preserves" and confirmed that the draft code as presented lists syringe-exchange activity as a prohibited activity in parks and preserves. Heaton framed the draft as an effort to create clearer permitting paths for organized activities and to identify where activities cannot occur in parks.
The transcript records the residents public-health citation and the staffs policy decision to prohibit syringe exchange in park spaces; the city offered no detailed health-agency rebuttal during the session and indicated further legal/administrative review will guide final language as the draft proceeds through outreach and hearings.
