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Resolution No. 2018-____ RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF UTAH COUNTY TO OPPOSE THE CREATION OF A UTAH COUNTY NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM
WHEREAS, a needle exchange program, also commonly known as a syringe exchange  program, is a social service that allows injecting drug users to obtain hypodermic needles and associated paraphernalia at little or no cost to the users; and WHEREAS, the first obligation of the Board of Commissioners of Utah County is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its residents; and WHEREAS, a public health threat is posed to residents and public employees by the increase of discarded needles in public places; and WHEREAS, multiple recent instances of public employees being pricked by discarded needles have been reported throughout the United States, including in San Diego, Seattle, and Santa Ana; and WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors of Orange County, California voted unanimously
in June 2018 to discontinue Orange County’s
 two-year-old needle exchange program after experiencing a sharp increase in discarded needles in public places and instances of public employees being pricked by discarded needles; and WHEREAS, in 2017, an elementary school student in Orem was pricked by a used needle
that she found discarded on her school’s playground
; and WHEREAS, a Utah County needle exchange program would likely further endanger our communities and sacrifice the safety of our residents and public employees; and WHEREAS, the facilitation of a needle exchange program by Utah County would risk  putting the County in a position of financial liability.
 
2  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Commissioners of Utah County does hereby declare: 1.
 
its opposition to the establishment of a Utah County needle exchange program due to the safety and liability risks that such a program would pose to Utah County, and 2.
 
that Utah County resources shall not be used to facilitate the creation or operation of any needle exchange programs. RESOLVED, ADOPTED, AND ORDERED this 31st day of July, 2018. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, UTAH COUNTY, UTAH  _______________________________ ______  Nathan Ivie, Chair  _______________________________ ______ William C. Lee, Vice Chair  _______________________________ ______ Greg Graves, Commissioner ATTEST: Bryan E. Thompson Utah County Clerk/Auditor By: ________________________ Deputy APPROVED AS TO FORM: Jeffrey R. Buhman Utah County Attorney By: ________________________ Deputy

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