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City Manager Office <br />www.santa-ana.org/city-managers-office/ <br />Item # 27 <br />City of Santa Ana <br />20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br /> Staff Report <br />April 16, 2024 <br />TOPIC: Resolution Opposing the Establishment of a Needle Exchange Program in Santa <br />Ana <br />AGENDA TITLE <br />Resolution of the City Council of the City of Santa Ana Announcing Its Strenuous <br />Opposition to the Establishment of a Needle Exchange Program in the City <br />RECOMMENDED ACTION <br />Adopt a Resolution opposing the establishment of a needle exchange program in the <br />City of Santa Ana as proposed by the Harm Reduction Institute’s application to the <br />California Department of Public Health. <br />RESOLUTION NO. 2024-XXX entitled A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF <br />THE CITY OF SANTA ANA ANNOUNCING ITS STRENUOUS OPPOSITION TO THE <br />ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM IN THE CITY <br />GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No <br />No <br />DISCUSSION <br />Needle distribution programs have historically been associated with increased public <br />health risks. A needle distribution program that operated in Santa Ana from 2016 to <br />2018 resulted in 250,000 used syringes being discarded in public areas frequented by <br />children, including the Civic Center, library, senior center, neighborhoods, and <br />businesses. Harm Reduction Institute (HRI) plans to operate a needle distribution <br />program in Santa Ana that would, on an annual basis, provide 300,000 syringes and <br />collect 180,000, potentially leaving 120,000 needles annually that could be discarded in <br />public areas. <br />On January 5, 2023, HRI submitted an application with the California Department of <br />Public Health (CDPH) to operate a Needle Exchange Program (NEP) in the City that <br />included mobile delivery of syringes. In their application, HRI noted they would be <br />providing 500,000 syringes and collecting only 300,000.