Tempe staff say syringe-exchange activity will be prohibited in parks under the draft code; resident cites CDC evidence in opposition
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.
The full story
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.
Sign up to keep reading.
Your free newsletter brings you what your city council, county, and school board discussed and decided.