The City of Portland’s recently implemented “syringe buyback” program is showing signs of effectively increasing the number of syringes returned the city’s syringe exchange and of reducing the number of used needles littering the city, according to a city memo published this week.
Portland’s Syringe Services Program (SSP), commonly referred to as “The Exchange,” is part of a statewide “harm reduction” program overseen by the Maine CDC that distributes hypodermic needles to people who inject drugs.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maine CDC had rules in place that required SPP participants to exchange used needles for sterile syringes at a 1:1 ratio.
Current Maine CDC guidelines, however, allow for the syringe exchanges to distribute up to 100 needles for every one needle that they collect.
In fiscal year 2024, the city had just over 5,000 clients enrolled in their SSP, and distributed a total of 952,411 needles, while collecting 577,517 — a gap of roughly 375,000 syringes that were not returned to the exchange.
In October 2024, the Portland City Council voted 7-1 against restoring a 1:1 exchange ratio at the city’s SSP, instead opting to allocate roughly $1.38 million in opioid settlement funds towards three different public health initiatives related to the opioid crisis.
The first of the initiatives earmarked $52,000 for the year-long pilot “syringe buyback” program, modeled after similar programs implemented in Boston and New York City, and which would involve the city’s syringe exchange program paying drug users cash when they return used syringes.
The program officially launched on Jan. 14, and in the six weeks following implementation of the program, a total of 120,793 syringes were collected by the city, compared to 76,554 syringes during the six weeks before the program — a 52 percent increase — according to a memo from Portland Public Health Director Bridget Rauscher.
Rauscher indicated that 156 unique clients have been enrolled in the syringe redemption program, with a total of 38,252 needles collected between Jan. 14 and Feb. 21 and $3,852 paid out to those 152 participants.
A majority of the program participants are unhoused (48 percent) or have unstable housing (27 percent), Rauscher wrote.
[RELATED: Mills Admin Proceeds with $15,000 Study into ‘Safe Consumption Sites’…]
A total of 76 participants returned syringes collected from the ground, and 42 participants returned more than 200 syringes, exceeding the program’s maximum weekly redemption amount.
The Portland Public Health director wrote that there has been a 76 percent reduction in the collection of improperly disposed of syringes by city staff from the six weeks before the program (1,677 needles) to the six weeks after (387 needles).
The City of Portland’s recently implemented “syringe buyback” program is showing signs of effectively increasing the number of syringes returned the city’s syringe exchange and of reducing the number of used needles littering the city, according to a city memo published this week.
Portland’s Syringe Services Program (SSP), commonly referred to as “The Exchange,” is part of a statewide “harm reduction” program overseen by the Maine CDC that distributes hypodermic needles to people who inject drugs.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maine CDC had rules in place that required SPP participants to exchange used needles for sterile syringes at a 1:1 ratio.
Current Maine CDC guidelines, however, allow for the syringe exchanges to distribute up to 100 needles for every one needle that they collect.
In fiscal year 2024, the city had just over 5,000 clients enrolled in their SSP, and distributed a total of 952,411 needles, while collecting 577,517 — a gap of roughly 375,000 syringes that were not returned to the exchange.
In October 2024, the Portland City Council voted 7-1 against restoring a 1:1 exchange ratio at the city’s SSP, instead opting to allocate roughly $1.38 million in opioid settlement funds towards three different public health initiatives related to the opioid crisis.
The first of the initiatives earmarked $52,000 for the year-long pilot “syringe buyback” program, modeled after similar programs implemented in Boston and New York City, and which would involve the city’s syringe exchange program paying drug users cash when they return used syringes.
The program officially launched on Jan. 14, and in the six weeks following implementation of the program, a total of 120,793 syringes were collected by the city, compared to 76,554 syringes during the six weeks before the program — a 52 percent increase — according to a memo from Portland Public Health Director Bridget Rauscher.
Rauscher indicated that 156 unique clients have been enrolled in the syringe redemption program, with a total of 38,252 needles collected between Jan. 14 and Feb. 21 and $3,852 paid out to those 152 participants.
A majority of the program participants are unhoused (48 percent) or have unstable housing (27 percent), Rauscher wrote.
[RELATED: Mills Admin Proceeds with $15,000 Study into ‘Safe Consumption Sites’…]
A total of 76 participants returned syringes collected from the ground, and 42 participants returned more than 200 syringes, exceeding the program’s maximum weekly redemption amount.
The Portland Public Health director wrote that there has been a 76 percent reduction in the collection of improperly disposed of syringes by city staff from the six weeks before the program (1,677 needles) to the six weeks after (387 needles).
The memo will be presented to the City Council’s Health and Human Services and Public Safety Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 11.
100 syringes distributed for one dirty syringe returned IS NOT A WIN! Normalizing drug abuse in our streets is not helping.
The people returning the syringes are not the people using them. Its the same people who pick up returnable bottles. Just wait, mills will count these litter cleaners as new jobs she and the democrats have created.
Lets see distributed a total of 952,411 needles with a one for one exchange. So collect needles, return needles, get free needles, sell needles on internet, all profit brilliant!
come on mainewire… break it down some more… they get what ten cents a needle with a max payout of 20 bucks a week? the real vaule is the needles at 1:100 ratio,just think u could bring in 200 used needles a week and get 20,000 fresh needles, in a few weeks you could start a non profit that sells discounted unused clean needles to the city of portland… serioulsy tho… how much free narcan can i get at the needle exchange? what about a meal or shower!? dont mention where to get addiction help either
The Cure, extends the problem
Next we will have needle vending machines.
The same corrupt Communist Democrat politicians and profiteers aiding and abetting the invasion of our homeland are aiding and abetting the drug traffickers murdering over 100,000 Americans annually !
Last I knew heroin was illegal. Why is Maine pretending otherwise? Now the Republicans in Augusta wanna establish “safe” places to shoot up. Hasn’t worked anywhere in the world so as usual Maine will do it. How about we actually prosecute “our visitors” from NY, CT and MA 10 years minimum (no deals) for distribution? How about we have prosecutors who actually prosecute? How about a state legislature that doesn’t have thier collective heads up their ass?
Giving druggies cash for needles either theirs or ones they pick up only give them money to shoot more drugs. Might be wise to legit pay people piece work, but screened and hired (and drug tested) like a real employee.
I don’t want to spend ONE MORE DIME on these damn drug addicts .
Not One .
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It would be great if Maine Wire would actually post ALL readers’ comments that are submitted (¬ violating their policies), instead of seemingly posting only those submitted by some (including an ad obviously posted by bots or scammers and completely off-topic) ,but ghosting other readers submitted posts that just never appear. This has happened to me 2-3 times in past year. If my voice just doesn’t matter, does my continued support?