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Dale Helvig <br />Resident, Santa Ana CA 92706 <br />March 5, 2024 <br />Mayor Amezcua and Santa Ana City Councilmembers <br />City of Santa Ana <br />20 Civic Center Plaza, 81" Floor <br />Santa Ana CA 92702 <br />Subject: Needle Distribution <br />We should call it what it is ... a Needle Give Away or Needle Distribution Program. The Harm Reduction <br />Institute (HRI) Application that was submitted on December 20, 2023 states on page 3 of their <br />application: <br />4. What is the estimated annual number of participants you will serve? ANSWER: 500 <br />5. What is the estimated annual number of syringes you will provide? ANSWER: 300,000 <br />6. What is the estimated annual number of syringes you will collect? ANSWER: 180,000 <br />HRI is dedicated to collecting as many used syringes as possible, however, because there <br />are many other places to legally dispose of syringes, HRI cannot assume that it will be <br />able to collect all of the syringes that it distributes. HRI participants may legally dispose <br />of syringes at sharps disposal kiosks in the community and at other syringe services <br />programs. Further, syringes are often confiscated and disposed of by the police. This <br />number reflects these other avenues for syringe disposal. <br />To put it another way ... this translates to an average of 600 needles per person per year with over <br />120,000 needles (40966) potentially being unaccounted for. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. If you remember <br />when this "Needle Distribution" took place a few years ago, needles were found in library books, <br />playgrounds and parks. My neighbors and I personally found hundreds of needles during Santiago Park <br />clean-up days in the children's playground, the bathrooms, by the baseball diamond and other areas <br />frequented by children. <br />I was told by City staff that as a resident I should not be collecting needles in the park but should contact <br />the city. Any delay in collecting needles only increases the probability that a child would find a needle <br />that could potentially expose them to HIV. This Needle Distribution is not protecting the innocent. <br />Who is looking out for the innocent people using library books, playgrounds and parks? Not anyone <br />involved in this Needle Distribution Program, which would be administered by people that don't live in <br />Santa Ana. <br />Page 1 of 2 <br />2024-03-05 Letter to City Council -Needle Distribution <br />