DENVER Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Tuesday vetoed an ordinance that would have removed certain restrictions for syringe exchange sites in an effort to expand such services.Under the city's Syringe Access Programs (SAP), participating centers can provide "sterile hypodermic syringes in exchange for used hypodermic syringes, needles or other objects used to inject substances into the body." The centers provide education surrounding the transmission of diseases as well as treatment referrals.SAPs are not safe use sites, meaning people cannot use drugs on center property.Under a 1997 law, syringe exchange programs needed to be 1,000 feet from schools, and only three were allowed in the city at a time. The Denver City Council voted 8-5 on Monday to remove those restrictions. Watch our previous coverage in the video player below Denver City Council votes 8-5 to lift distance restrictions on needle exchange sitesOn Tuesday, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston vetoed the ordinance. The mayor had expressed skepticism about the change, according to our partners at The Denver Post. In a letter explaining his veto, Johnston called the ordinance "the wrong solution at the wrong time." "I support harm reduction strategies and also believe we need to place more emphasis on connecting individuals from needle exchange programs to substance misuse services to help them break the cycle of addiction," the mayor wrote. Read Mayor Mike Johnston's veto letter belowJohnston identified two "serious concerns" with the ordinance the potential for an "unlimited number of sites" and the elimination of "common sense setbacks for regulated entities" when it comes to distance regulations. Johnston said the current number of exchange sites meets the city's demand."While data shows that such programs play an important role in preventing communicable diseases and preventing overdose deaths, the reality is that use of syringes to ingest drugs has declined and the current number of providers is able to meet the current need," he said.According to the mayor, 66% of land available for medical zoning remains available for needle exchange facilities. He said needle exchange sites also have the opportunity to request a variance from the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE), "something not afforded to other regulated entities." "There is no shortage of sites available to providers without eliminating the reasonable setback from schools that is currently in law," Johnston wrote. The Denver City Council can override the mayor's veto with a supermajority vote.