We must reject proposed legislation LD 219, and prioritize and protect some of our most vulnerable citizens and the essential services that save lives.

LD 219 threatens to limit access to harm reduction services — a range of public health efforts focused on prevention, risk reduction and health promotion — by requiring syringe service programs (SSPs) to adopt one-to-one policies: only one syringe distributed for every syringe returned. Currently, programs in Maine operate as one-to-one-plus: individuals are able to receive up to 100 new syringes regardless of the amount returned. Maine’s 2023 SSPs report names one-to-one-plus programs as better serving SSP enrollees, also noting that over 500,000 more syringes were distributed than collected.

Public health is at the center of the argument for providing people who inject drugs (PWID) with ample safe-use supplies. The Maine Opioid Response 2023-2025 Strategic Action Plan specifically calls for increased access to harm reduction services, including SSPs.

The CDC reports that tens of thousands of drug-use-related viral hepatitis infections occur in the U.S. annually, and HIV diagnoses have recently increased. Penobscot County is currently experiencing an HIV outbreak that will only be worsened by limiting safe-use supplies. These trends emphasize the need for SSPs that are not operating under arbitrary limits. SSPs are cost-effective and reduce viral transmission, and also successfully connect enrollees to other health care and treatment.

The opioid crisis kills and sickens our community members by the masses. One-for-one-plus SSPs in Maine are indispensable in addressing the devastating harm of the opioid crisis.

Sherri Lysy
Raymond