Needle exchange ban clears initial hurdle at Pueblo City Council

Syringe exchange programs have been a hot-button topic in Pueblo politics for over a year, and a newly elected city councilor is pushing to ban them within city limits.

An ordinance prohibiting needle exchange and distribution services passed an initial hurdle at the Pueblo City Council meeting Monday evening after Councilor Sarah Martinez unsuccessfully attempted to delay the vote for another few weeks.

The ordinance will be considered on second reading at the May 13 city council meeting.

What are the arguments for and against needle exchange programs?

Advocates and administrators of syringe service programs in Pueblo say that they can help refer people experiencing drug addiction into treatment and reduce the risk of spreading blood-borne diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C. Without access to clean needles, intravenous drug users may share or re-use dirty syringes, which spreads diseases among people.

That’s also backed by scientific studies of syringe access programs, which have been in place for decades in some parts of the country.

Opponents question the efficacy of these programs and say that providing fresh needles can “enable” drug addictions.

Some people also decry the prevalence of discarded syringes around Pueblo parks and businesses and criticize how the programs don’t require a direct, one-for-one exchange of needles.

How would the ordinance work if it passes?

This ordinance was introduced by Councilor Roger Gomez, who replaced Vicente Martinez Ortega as the city's representative for Bessemer and parts of the South Side.

The ordinance defines creating, operating and participating in syringe access programs as a nuisance, which is a class two municipal offense and carries a fine of up to $1,000.

City Attorney Carla Sikes clarified at the council meeting that a “habitual offender” with two or more offenses within five years could be sentenced to jail time of up to 364 days.

Why Martinez tried to delay the vote

Martinez asked to delay the vote on banning the syringe access programs when it came up on first reading at Monday’s meeting.

Ordinances need to go through a two-step process before they can be enacted, but they are only pulled or discussed on first reading when the topic can be contentious or the vote needs to be delayed for other reasons.

Martinez said that council should have the opportunity to hear from Access Point, one of the syringe exchange providers in Pueblo, before they vote on the ordinance. She also said that she had several questions for the legal department about the ordinance.

Councilor Dennis Flores added that he would like to hear from someone “in the medical community.”

Councilor Regina Maestri, who also chairs work sessions, noted that people from Access Point are scheduled to come in and talk with council at a work session prior to the scheduled vote on May 13.

Council President Mark Aliff also said that Martinez could suggest postponing the vote by another two weeks on May 13, but for now, he disagreed with postponing it.

Councilors Flores, Martinez and Joe Latino voted in favor of postponing the vote, while Gomez, Maestri, Aliff and Charles Hernandez rejected the motion.

Previous action from council on needle exchanges

Council has not considered a direct ban on needle exchange programs in recent memory, but funding for the Southern Colorado Harm Reduction Association’s new building came under scrutiny last year.

Council initially denied nearly $1 million from federal COVID-19-related grants to Southern Colorado Harm Reduction in April 2023 on a 3-3 vote, but reversed that decision in July with two councilors dissenting: Maestri and now-Mayor Heather Graham.

City council has heard much public testimony within the past few months about these programs, mostly from advocates. During debates last year, council also heard from some business owners in Bessemer near the facility who decried the prevalence of needles near their establishments.

More: Are needle exchange programs harmful to the Pueblo community? Here's what the data shows

Anna Lynn Winfrey covers politics at the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com. Please support local news at subscribe.chieftian.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo City Council approves needle exchange ban on first reading