Augusta City Councilors discuss a proposed moratorium on needle exchange programs during the informational meeting on Thursday. The Augusta City Council voted 5-3 Thursday to enact a moratorium on needle exchange programs. The moratorium will prevent the establishment of any new needle exchange programs for 180 days. The current operations of organizations offering needle exchange programs in the city will not be affected, but they will not be allowed to expand those operations during the 180-day period. There are currently two organizations offering needle exchange programs in Augusta: MaineGeneral Health and the Maine Recovery Access Project.