HomeMy WebLinkAboutCORRESPONDENCE - NON AGENDIZEDOC NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM
We are a nonprofit, volunteer -run needle exchange located in Orange County, CA grounded in
harm reduction and evidence -based principles. Our core mission is to prevent HIV, hepatitis
C, and other infectious diseases by safely disposing of used syringes and providing sterile
injection and safer sex supplies.
714.794.5643 http://ocnep.org
January 2, 2018
To the Santa Ana City Council:
The Orange County Needle Exchange Program (OCNEP) is interested in working together to develop
and implement collaborative solutions that reduce needle litter, continue to promote community
safety, improve public health, and remain responsive to the needs of injection drug users (hereinafter
"IDUs') and afford them the dignity and respect that they deserve.
At this time, we approach you with a series of proposals related to OCNEP's location and the issue of
needle litter, which are consistent with above -stated goals.
In order to address current concerns about OCNEP's location in the Santa Ana Civic Center, OCNEP will:
1. INSTITUTE a policy which assigns 1-2 members of the OCNEP Board of Directors and/or
Steering Committee each to community organizations so as to quickly and personally respond
to the latter's concerns.
2. In consultation with the City Council (hereinafter "Council"), Santa Ana Police Department
(hereinafter "SAPD"), Orange County Health Care Agency (hereinafter "OCHCA"), the California
Department of Public Health (hereinafter "CDPH"), and community members, EXPLORE the
relocation of OCNEP to another fixed physical location in Santa Ana and/or the institution of
mobile exchange within the city.
a. OCNEP will continue to operate in its state -sanctioned location to prevent any lapse in
IDU access to safe injection equipment, safe sex supplies, referrals to social services and
substance use rehabilitation, and overdose prevention education.
3. With collaboration, assistance, and support of the Council, SAPD, and OCHCA, and concurrent
with necessary needs assessments carried out with input from IDUs, EXPLORE the expansion
of OCNEP to additional sites in other cities within Orange County.
In order to reduce the impact of needle litter in the Santa Ana community, OCNEP will:
1. CONTINUE to engage in needle sweeps of the Civic Center during operating hours (fpm-3pm)
on Saturdays.
2. CONTINUE to respond to community groups that ask for assistance in discarding hypodermic
syringes (hereinafter "sharps") by meeting with the groups, providing sharps disposal
containers and puncture -resistant gloves, and, when requested, dispatch trained volunteers to
retrieve and dispose of these sharps.
3. CONTINUE to operate on a sharps distribution policy adhering to the "n + 20" model, with a
cap of 200 sharps per client per exchange, which has led to an increased ratio of sharps being
discarded relative to sharps being distributed since its introduction in October 2017.
4. CONTINUE to provide verbal and visual (e.g. large banner during operating hours) reminders
to all OCNEP clients to properly dispose of all sharps at OCNEP or in one of the permanent
disposal kiosks present in the Civic Center.
5. CONTINUE to offer information sessions and sharps safety education to SAPD patrolmen and
women at shift change roll call and/or when requested.
6. In consultation with interested stakeholders including but not limited to the Council, SAPD,
OCHCA, and community members (e.g. library staff, City custodial workers), INSTITUTE three
additional needle sweeps on weekdays. Sites for these new needle sweeps would be decided
upon by the aforementioned parties, targeted to areas with concentrated needle litter, and
undertaken by OCNEP volunteers in such a manner that protects volunteer safety and remains
cognizant of staffing and resource limitations.
7. INSTITUTE a new sharps distribution policy that dictates that clients will be ineligible to
receive sharps unless they accept a puncture -proof medical waste container from volunteers
and/or present a previously received container. California H&S 11364(b) allows used syringe
possession if they are in sharps containers.
B. INSTITUTE the mandatory distribution of sharps disposal pamphlets to each client outlining
the necessity of proper disposal, list of City and County disposal sites, and relevant laws
regarding the sharps possession/proper containerization.
9. EXPLORE the introduction of a phone hotline for Santa Ana community members to call and
report incidents of improperly disposed sharps. Bearing in mind staffing and resource
constraints, OCNEP would dispatch trained volunteers to retrieve and dispose of these sharps
as quickly as possible from sites within City limits.
10. EXPLORE the possibility of developing a community network of disposal sites that could be
utilized by IDUs outside of regular OCNEP hours. Sites that might be considered include the
LGBT Center of Orange County, other HIV -testing sites throughout the City and County, and
OCHCA-administered public health clinics. Where not currently in place, OCNEP would initiate
conversations with biomedical waste disposal companies to provide for the timely pickup and
destruction of discarded sharps.
11. In consultation with the Council, SAPD, and OCHCA, and with input from IDU, EXPLORE sites
for additional introduction of permanent needle disposal kiosks.
These proposals should be viewed as a starting place for fruitful discussion and collaboration. OCNEP
is dedicated to a cooperative relationship with the Council that reflects our shared commitment to
and compassion for all Santa Ana community members.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
The Orange County Needle Exchange Program
Dallas Augustine, Board of Directors
Kyle Barbour, Board of Directors
Nathan Birnbaum, Board of Directors
Po Hsu, Board of Directors
Sofia Laguna, Board of Directors
Miriam McQuade, Board of Directors
Meg Munoz, Board of Directors
Carol Newark, Board of Directors
Thao Le, Board of Directors
Michelle Au, Steering Committee
Kelley Butler, Steering Committee
Mahan Naeim, Steering Committee
Jasmine Sedaghati, Steering Committee
Megan Van Ligten, Steering Committee