Auburn, Maine Approves Ordinance Targeting Dirty Needles in Public Spaces

Auburn city leaders have approved a new ordinance aimed at reducing the number of discarded needles in public spaces.

The Auburn City Council passed the ordinance Monday night, putting stricter local rules on syringe service programs operating in the city. Officials say the goal is to prevent biohazard risks and keep used needles from ending up on sidewalks, streets, parks, and other public areas.

According to WGME, under the new rules, syringe service programs would be required to conduct daily cleanups within a specific radius around each location. The ordinance also limits the number of programs in Auburn to two.

City officials say the rules are designed to give Auburn more control and allow them to take action against any operator that fails to properly collect and dispose of used syringes.

Some residents, however, remain concerned. During Monday night’s meeting, Auburn resident Noah Yarnevich pointed to problems with Lewiston’s former needle exchange program, which shut down after tens of thousands of used needles were reportedly found improperly stored, WGME explained.

“We can’t sit here and act like we don’t know how that worked out,” Yarnevich said. “With it closing and there being 80,000 used needles in the basement because they weren’t disposed of correctly. That’s dangerous, that’s terrifying.”

City leaders say the new ordinance is meant to prevent similar issues from happening in Auburn.