SPRINGFIELD NEEDLE EXCHANGE FOES MOVE TO FORCE NOVEMBER REFERENDUM

SPRINGFIELD -- Opponents of the city's recently approved needle exchange
program have submitted more than 10,000 signatures to force a November
referendum on the issue.

City councilors approved the program in a 5-4 vote last month after
rejecting it for the past two years. City health officials said it could
help prevent the spread of AIDS among drug addicts.

City Election Commission Chairman James Sullivan said the group needed
9,300 signatures to get the question on the ballot, and it will take his
workers most of the week to check the signatures.

Robert Powell, a spokesman for the citizens group, said feelings were
running so high that it had little difficulty collecting the signatures,
even though it had only had 20 days to meet Monday's filing deadline.

So far, programs to hand out clean syringes to drug users have been
established in Boston, Cambridge, Northampton and Provincetown. The state
provides about $200,000 for the programs.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski