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Glenn Wilson is a lifelong Bangor area resident and long-time business owner. His passion is ministering to those individuals and families who are struggling with addiction.
Taken as a whole, from 2023 to 2025 Maine’s clean syringe exchange programs handed out, on average, 3.1 million new sterile syringes per year, while roughly 2.5 million are returned per year. That leaves 600,000 unaccounted-for needles annually. Where do they end up? In places and numbers that should deeply trouble every resident.
In May, a Bangor family said they found four uncapped needles on the steps of the children’s slide in Talbot Park. Across the street, near a public toilet and just feet from a disposal station, used syringes lay carelessly tossed on the ground in plain sight.
While some might argue these instances are rare, look at Sanford, where a cleanup at a homeless encampment near a needle exchange yielded an astonishing 14,700 used needles. In Portland, the Democratic mayor publicly acknowledged the city “is awash with discarded hypodermic needles” and insisted, “We need to challenge the assumptions of our current hypodermic needle exchange policy.” He noted that while studies praise these programs, needle waste is treated as a policy afterthought, expecting citizens to clean up the hazard.
Similar frustration is building in Lewiston, where nearly a thousand residents signed a petition to replace the policy allowing 100 clean syringes per visit with a true 1-to-1 exchange.
For decades, Bangor has been my home. It is where I live, where I minister, and where I walk alongside men and women battling substance abuse. I do not speak from an academic tower — I grew up in a family ravaged by alcohol. I know the destructive pull of active addiction, but I also know the life-changing power of recovery through faith, accountability, and real support.
Because of my journey and my decades leading faith-based recovery programs, I want to be clear: I do not personally agree with harm reduction models like needle exchanges. I believe the goal of compassionate care must be total freedom from addiction, not making active drug use safer or easier to sustain. True compassion means guiding people into treatment, detox, and long-term recovery — not simply handing out syringes.
However, as a pragmatist, I recognize state and local policymakers have chosen to operate these programs in Bangor and across Maine. While I remain fundamentally opposed to their core philosophy, if they are going to exist, they cannot operate at the expense of our neighbors. The safety of non-users — especially our children — must come first.
A program intended to reduce harm for users must never transfer health hazards onto innocent families playing in public parks or walking downtown. If needle exchanges remain, I think our leaders must enforce strict boundaries: enforce a true 1-to-1 exchange, require operators to clean up surrounding needle waste daily, and ensure every point of contact serves as a direct bridge toward treatment and recovery.
We cannot allow compassion for the addict to translate into neglect for the broader community. Boundaries and accountability are essential for both personal recovery and public safety.
Recently, Republican gubernatorial nominee Bobby Charles visited drug treatment facilities across Maine — not for a momentary photo-op, but to discuss these issues in depth with people immersed in the struggle daily. Bringing years of federal experience with these challenges, Bobby says he seeks a balanced, measured response, one that offers positive solutions for those caught in the horrors of addiction while protecting the safety of all citizens.
I will always stand up for those struggling with addiction, but as a long-time Bangor resident, I will also stand up for our neighborhoods. If our state continues using needle exchange programs, officials owe it to every citizen to ensure public safety comes first.