Mayor Mike Johnston vetoes new Denver needle exchange measure

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Tuesday vetoed a new law to expand access to needle exchanges, one day after the measure was passed by the City Council.

Johnston described the ordinance as “the wrong solution at the wrong time” in a letter to the City Council released by his office Tuesday night.

“I support harm reduction strategies and also believe we need to place more emphasis on connecting individuals from needle exchange programs to substance misuse services to help them break the cycle of addiction,” Johnston wrote.

The ordinance would have allowed an unlimited number of needle exchanges in areas zoned for medical offices and removed the 1,000-foot buffer between the sites and schools or day cares.

In the veto letter, Johnston wrote there is “no reason” to remove the cap on needle exchange programs in the city and claimed there is no evidence that providers need an unlimited number of sites or that Denver residents want them.

Johnston also claimed the use of syringes for drugs has declined and the city’s providers are able to meet the current need.

The mayor also objected to removing “common sense setbacks” for the sites, according to the letter.

Three needle exchange programs operate in Denver, with the first opening in 2011 because of limitations in state law.

Denver City Council approved the measure on an 8-5 vote on Monday. It takes a nine-vote supermajority to override the mayor’s veto, according to previous reporting.

In a statement, Councilwoman Sarah Parady said Johnston’s decision runs counter to a syringe access study published by the city’s Department of Public Health and Environment and ignores endorsements from Denver Health, the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, Advocates for Recovery, and the Colorado Society of Addiction Medicine.

“In a time when Denver is desperate for tools to stem the opioid addiction crisis, we need more of these crucial front-line services,” Parady said. “His decision… leaves us without the ability to add more sites for proper disposal of dirty needles (which otherwise end up in the garbage or on the ground, putting city employees and the public at risk).”