Santa Ana Neighbors, join us in taking a strong stance in opposition to a recent application filed by the Harm Reduction Institute (HRI), to bring a Needle Distribution Program to Santa Ana. Furthermore, send a loud message to any entity that we, the residents of Santa Ana, will oppose any future applications for any type of Needle Distribution Program to operate within our city. 

From the City of Santa Ana website: "The Harm Reduction Institute (HRI) filed an application in 2023 with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to provide needle distribution services in Santa Ana."

This application is currently pending and is not the first time HRI has tried to bring this program to Santa Ana.

Over a dozen Neighborhood Association leaders and appointed Santa Ana Commissioners have already expressed strong opposition to this recent application. We join Santa Ana elected officials who not only have publicly vowed to try to keep a Needle Distribution Program from operating within our city, but have also taken it upon themselves to educate and bring awareness to the public surrounding this program. We want to give a special thank you to those elected officials: Mayor of Santa Ana - Valerie Amezcua, Santa Ana Ward 4 Councilmember- Phil Bacerra, and Santa Ana Ward 6 Councilmember - David Penaloza. We also want to thank City staff including our City Manager and the Santa Ana Police Department.  

While these programs were designed to reduce harm among drug users by providing clean needles, they inadvertently pose an increased risk to public safety. Here are some reasons why we stand in opposition:

• It increases the number of used needles in public areas. In HRI's own application, they state that they expect to recover only 60% of the estimated 300,000 needles they plan to distribute. This means that 120,000 needles will be introduced into our community that will go unaccounted for... EVERY YEAR!!
• We tried a needle distribution program in the recent past, and it was a failure. Here are some alarming facts taken from the Santa Ana Needle Distribution Fact Sheet (linked below) that came as a result of that program.
  • From 2016 to 2018, a needle distribution program in Santa Ana resulted in thousands of used needles and syringes being discarded in public areas frequented by children and senior citizens.
  • Santa Ana Library staff routinely located 40 to 50 used and discarded needles per month.
  • In February 2018, Santa Ana Senior Center staff picked up approximately 50 needles at Birch Park in their normal clean-up before opening.
  • 250,000 needles were distributed but never collected.
• HRI staff are acting in bad faith.
  • HRI have declined to have an open forum to discuss and answer questions from Santa Ana residents. They insist on only having a Zoom call meeting with a few stake holders which does not include Santa Ana residents.
  • In a 2023 social media post, the Executive Director of HRI referred to concerned Santa Ana residents as "enemies" after Santa Ana opposed their previous application for a Needle Exchange Program. They also vowed to continue the fight against Santa Ana and that "WE WILL WIN because we will always be more relentless than our enemies". That account has gone private since the public backlash. 

Please sign immediately! 

Also, join Jeffrey Katz (Floral Park Neighborhood Association President), Mario Alvarado (Santa Ana Commissioner), and Danny Vega (Santa Ana Commissioner) to spread the word and share this petition with your friends and family. Let us know if you would like to also help us to collect signatures from your neighbors who may not have access to this online petition. Thank you.

Together, we will be successful. 

Sources:

https://www.santa-ana.org/needle-distribution 

https://www.santa-ana.org/documents/needle-distribution-fact-sheet/