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The Network for Public Health Law Ideas. Experience. Practical Answers. April 16, 2024 Honorable Santa Ana City Councilmembers: The Network — Harm Reduction Legal Project Edina, Minnesota 55435 On behalf of the Harm Reduction Legal Project, I am pleased to provide this letter in support of the Harm Reduction Institute's (HRI) application to provide harm reduction services in Santa Ana and to encourage the Council to reject the proposed resolution against HRI. The Harm Reduction Legal Project is an initiative of the Network for Public Health Law, and provides actionable information, guidance, and support to policymakers, health agencies, providers, and advocates working to create more just, equitable, and health -focused drug policy in the Unites States. We believe that California's authorization process for syringe services programs (SSPs) is careful, thorough, and preempts local law. State authorization is necessary in areas where local government is hesitant to endorse much -needed harm reduction practices. Drug -related harm knows no borders — infectious disease and overdose deaths anywhere in California affects all Californians. We urge you to reject the proposed resolution against HRI and instead work together with HRI to bring the best evidence - based harm reduction policies possible to Santa Ana and become a model community for other cities in California. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 109,000 Americans died from a drug overdose in 2022. These deaths are overwhelmingly caused the presence of illicit fentanyl in the illegal opioid supply. Participants in syringe services programs (SSPs) are more likely to stop using drugs — new users of SSPs are five times more likely to enter drug treatment than those who do not use an SSP. Those who do not stop using drugs but participate in an SSP are three times more likely to reduce their injection frequency. SSPs also greatly reduce the transmission of disease and save health care costs, all while causing no increase in illegal drug use or crime. Further, the scientific literature is clear that syringe services programs reduce syringe litter in areas where they are implemented. Eliminating SSPs does not stop people from using drugs. HRI's proposed operating plan, with CDPH's endorsement, addresses the County's Local Health Officer mitigation recommendations mentioned in the Resolution's discussion section: (1) demonstrating safe and effective methods of appropriate syringe disposal and collection; (2) providing counseling services, linkage to behavior health and medical services, and provide follow-up to referrals placed; and (3) community collaboration, data collection, and monitoring to identify positive and negative impacts