Maine: Drug Needle Exchanges Threatened

Needle-exchange programs would be able to receive federal funds under an appropriations bill approved by the US House. However, many advocates are lobbying against a part of the measure regarding where NEPs can be located. The Senate will later this year consider its own version of the Health and Human Services appropriations bill, and a joint committee will reconcile differences between the two.

The House measure would ban federally supported NEPs from operating within 1,000 feet of a school, college, park, library, public pool, youth center or other place where minors usually congregate.

"If the House amendment makes it through [into the final appropriations bill], it will affect virtually all programs located in urban areas," said Andrew Bossie of the Maine AIDS Alliance.

"This restriction would make it virtually impossible to operate a needle-exchange program in Ellsworth," said Steve Richard, executive director of the Down East AIDS Network. In Ellsworth, DEAN has operated an NEP since 2007, offering injection drug users free sterile syringes, distilled water and other supplies to prevent blood-borne infections.

The Eastern Maine AIDS Network's NEP in Bangor would also probably not be able to accept federal funding under the House amendment, said Patsy Murphy, its director. EMAN serves about 200 drug users and has referred about 150 for substance abuse treatment, medical care, counseling and other services.

A spokesperson for Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) said the location of NEPs is a "multidimensional challenge" best left to local decision-makers. Meanwhile, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) prefers treatment funding for addicts, "not on giving them more effective means to continue their addiction," said Kevin Kelley of Collins' office.

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