By Taylor Stuck, The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — A federal judge has dissolved a temporary injunction against implementation of the new West Virginia syringe exchange law and denied a request for a permanent injunction.
U.S. District Court for Southern West Virginia Judge Robert Chambers issued his decision Thursday, a week after hearing arguments in his Huntington courtroom as to why the temporary injunction should extend throughout trial.
The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia filed a lawsuit this month on behalf of Milan Puskar Health Right, a clinic running harm reduction services, including a syringe program, in Morgantown; Lawson Koeppel, president of the Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition, according to the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office; Alina Lemire; and Carrie Ware.
Senate Bill 334 established a licensure program for harm reduction programs operating syringe exchanges. Programs must offer a full array of harm reduction services. SB 334 includes restrictions that go against Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards, such as a model in which for every syringe returned, the person is given a new syringe, and requiring syringes be unique to the program…
