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Attachment A
<br />RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF
<br />ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
<br />May 23, 2023
<br />WHEREAS, the foremost obligation of the Orange County Board of Supervisors is to
<br />ensure and protect the public safety, health, and well-being of County residents.
<br />WHEREAS, in 2019, the County of Orange successfully prevailed in its lawsuit against
<br />the Orange County Needle Exchange Program (OCNEP) and the California Department of
<br />Public Health (CDPH) on the County's claim that the CDPH's approval of a mobile needle
<br />exchange program in the cities of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Orange, and Santa Ana violated the
<br />California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
<br />WHEREAS, the Harm Reduction Institute (HRI) recently applied to the CDPH for
<br />authorization to add home delivery and pick-up of syringe needles to their current harm
<br />reduction program in the City of Santa Ana.
<br />WHEREAS, as required by Health and Safety Code Section 121349, on April 10, 2023,
<br />the CDPH contacted the Health Officer for Orange County, Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong DO, by
<br />email, and requested her consultation for the HRI application.
<br />WHEREAS, in accordance with Health and Safety Code Section 121349, public
<br />comments may be submitted in writing to CDPH until 11:59 p.m., May 26, 2023.
<br />WHEREAS, on May 10, 2023, Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong provided a detailed letter to
<br />the CDPH, noting that the County of Orange, and specifically, the City of Santa Ana, had
<br />negative experiences with syringe exchange programs, including both the OCNEP (2016-2018)
<br />and HRI (2019-2022), a true copy of which is attached.
<br />WHEREAS, in her May 10, 2023, letter, Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong noted that, at one
<br />point in late 2017, OCNEP was distributing over 80,000 syringes in a single day of operation,
<br />serving over 200 people in a single 2-hour time frame, while disposing of only 20,000 used
<br />syringes per week, and that more than 14,000 improperly discarded needles were found in the
<br />homeless encampments in the Santa Ana Riverbed.
<br />WHEREAS, in its application, HRI proposes no limit on the number of syringe needles it
<br />intends to distribute in Santa Ana.
<br />WHEREAS, in her May 10, 2023, letter, Dr. Chinsio-Kwong noted that, as a result of the
<br />volume of syringe litter and the associated public health risks, concerns expressed by members
<br />of the public (including written and oral comments at public meetings) included (1) OCNEP's
<br />failure to properly understand the population it served (i.e., high numbers of unhoused people
<br />suffering from debilitating mental health conditions); (2) OCNEP's failure to demonstrate that
<br />the program actually decreased the spread of HIV and hepatitis in the County, and (3) OCNEP's
<br />minimal effort to follow up on referrals to drug rehabilitation/SUD treatment programs.
<br />Resolution No. , Item No. Page I of 2
<br />Resolution concerning Harm Reduction Institute Application
<br />to Distribute Syringe Needles in Santa Ana
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