Editor’s note: This commentary is a response to the Register editorial “Santa Ana needs better plan for needle exchange,” published December 31.
“Harm reduction” programs have significantly impacted cities across the country, with synthetic drug deaths from substances like fentanyl and methamphetamine at historic highs. Despite this, some organizations continue implementing programs that have contributed to the decline of iconic American cities.
As mayor of Santa Ana, I firmly opposed the Harm Reduction Institute’s (HRI) application to distribute syringes and drug use supplies in our city. My position is based on consultations with city staff, law enforcement experts, and residents, as well as a thorough review of data and previous outcomes.
From 2016 to 2018, Santa Ana had a needle distribution program, which proved to be an epic failure. Syringes littered the city in public areas like our library and parks, creating public safety issues and straining city resources. Public drug use remains a challenge, and we are committed to finding meaningful, compassionate solutions. However, providing drug use supplies to individuals battling addiction is not compassionate; it is counterproductive. Offering smoking pipes near a methadone clinic is akin to setting up a beer garden outside an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting—cruel and unhelpful.
HRI’s December 2023 application cited that 6.6% of the 259 individuals diagnosed with HIV in 2022 had engaged in injection drug use. This equates to 17 individuals across the entire County of Orange, not exclusively in Santa Ana. Yet, HRI proposed distributing 300,000 syringes exclusively in Santa Ana. The city already has two Orange County Health Care Agency-endorsed locations offering HIV-related services, and California pharmacies can distribute syringes without prescriptions. With over 1,000 pharmacies within 25 miles of the city, why the need? Why Santa Ana? Nobody can point to current data, statistics, or metrics that triggers the public health need to distribute syringes, crack and methamphetamine pipes.
This is not an academic exercise or some esoteric discussion in the public health space. These are the lives of Santa Ana residents, their public safety and their quality of life. I am unwilling to compromise on their public safety for the sake of a few.
HRI’s inability to account for the distribution of 300,000 needles to the public should be concerning. Experience shows many of these end up on streets, parks, and buses, creating hazards for residents. Any program that distributes crack pipes, cotton filters, cookers, fentanyl test strips, snorting supplies, or other drug-ingestion instruments facilitating illegal drug consumption and fostering greater demand for harmful substances, while not addressing drug addiction root causes should be not supported. Additionally, these items framed as harm reduction tools, ultimately support drug use and exacerbate the problem in our community.
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Valerie Amezcua is mayor of Santa Ana.
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