The City Council in Atlantic City has voted to shut down the city’s needle exchange program – the largest such program in the state.

The vote was 7-2, despite the vocal opposition of many residents there.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that programs like this help reduce drug overdoses and encourage users to seek treatment.

Gov. Phil Murphy called the decision “disappointing.”

“Now, more than ever, because of the increase in opioid-related deaths, is the time to push forward and continue in our broader efforts to expand harm reduction centers across the state,” the governor said in a statement. “Individuals struggling with addiction deserve access to the critical, compassionate services they need to stay alive, recover and thrive.”

An Atlantic City councilman is believed to have been assaulted over the ordinance.

Councilman Mohammed Hossain Morshed says he was attacked by a half-dozen people. He suffered a broken nose and eye socket when he was assaulted in a parking lot.

The assault is under investigation.