A judge has granted the ACLU of West Virginia’s request for a temporary restraining order against a new law that creates more regulations for needle exchange programs across the state.
The law, Senate Bill 334, was set to go into effect in July.
Supporters say it aims to regulate needle exchange programs in the interest of public safety, especially when it comes to needles not being properly disposed of.
The ACLU says the regulation will force the closure of most existing needle exchange programs in the state: at a time when the CDC has called Kanawha County’s HIV outbreak the most concerning in the nation.
The group believes the law would only make that situation worse.
The lawsuit will be heard in court next month.
