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Tag: Drug abuse

Denver may ease needle exchange restrictions near schools and day cares
Local, Newsmax

Denver may ease needle exchange restrictions near schools and day cares

By David Heitz | Newsbreak The Denver City Council may remove some restrictions on needle exchange centers. The Budget and Policy Committee of the council will consider an ordinance next week that would remove the 1,000-foot buffer requirement for needle exchange centers from schools and day care centers. It also would eliminate a rule that only three needle exchange centers to operate in the county. “These restrictions have no public health or public safety benefit,” according to a presentation by city staff to the committee. State lawmakers already removed a requirement that local boards of health grant permits for the needle exchanges, the presentation states. Council members Sarah Parady and Serena Gonzales Guttierez sponsored the ordinance. They say the changes are ...
Gonzalez: Needle exchange site in Colorado Springs lacks transparency
Commentary, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Gonzalez: Needle exchange site in Colorado Springs lacks transparency

By Longinos Gonzalez, Jr. | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Needle exchange programs and drug injection sites, described by proponents as “safe injection sites” or “overdose prevention centers,” are ideas that radicals throughout the state continue to push upon our communities, even where they are largely opposed by the public and previously rejected by local institutions.   Luckily, at least for one more year, the legislature rejected the most recent supervised drug injection site bill proposal.  Unfortunately, this bill is likely to find renewed advocacy in 2025 by numerous Democrats.  However, the push for needle exchanges, or syringe access programs, under the guise of “harm reduction” continues and has come to Colorado Springs without ever having compl...
Report: ‘People think this is the marijuana they used in college. It is not.’
Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Report: ‘People think this is the marijuana they used in college. It is not.’

One Chance to Grow Up details dangers of today’s marijuana on children By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice COLORADO SPRINGS – When marijuana was legalized in Colorado more than a decade ago, it became apparent action would be needed to protect youth and One Chance to Grow Up was formed, co-founder Doug Robinson told a group of business leaders here last week. “Colorado was the first state to legalize it,” he said. “We decided we had to do something about it. We had to focus on protecting kids.” The citizen-led and funded non-profit was formed and, in the 11 years since marijuana was legalized, has impacted 37 pieces of legislation aimed at improving outcomes for children. In the early years of the campaign, focus was toward child-resistant packaging, labeling and warn...
Mobile harm reduction van aims to help with safer substance use, overdose prevention in Arapahoe County
Denver Metro, Local, The Colorado Sun

Mobile harm reduction van aims to help with safer substance use, overdose prevention in Arapahoe County

By Tatiana Flowers | Colorado Sun A new mobile harm reduction service is bringing overdose prevention to the streets of Arapahoe County to help people who use opioids and other drugs. The Arapahoe County Public Health department says it’s using an equity-focused approach on its new harm reduction van to help reduce the toll of the opioid epidemic on the community. The new mobile unit, Prevention Point, will offer safer substance use and sexual health services to people across the county including a syringe access and disposal program, Narcan and testing for HIV, hepatitis C and other infections transmitted by unsafe sex and drug use, officials said. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN