HRI Updates
April 16, 2024
Press Release Statement: HRI STRONGLY OPPOSES RESOLUTION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA ANNOUNCING ITS STRENUOUS OPPOSITION TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM IN THE CITY.
SANTA ANA. Harm Reduction Institute (HRI) has submitted a public comment in opposition to the Santa Ana City Council’s resolution to announce its opposition to the establishment of a needle exchange program in the City:
Given the vitriolic attacks we are receiving on social media, Harm Reduction Institute (HRI) staff are regrettably unable to attend in person this evening to speak on agenda item 27 due to safety concerns. HRI opposes the proposed resolution since it aims to deny HRI the ability to provide vital healthcare services to the most vulnerable residents of Santa Ana by establishing a syringe services program (SSP).
To begin with, we would like to correct some of the assertions and accusations that the City has offered in support of its opposition to HRI and its mission. For example, the City claims that HRI’s proposed SSP will lead to a large increase in the number of syringes littered in public areas. This claim is completely unsupported by evidence as all data presented by the City is from 2016-2018, two to four years before HRI ever opened. HRI offered syringe access for almost two years from 2020-2022 under the direction of a physician at a medical office, and went largely unnoticed by the broader community while serving the healthcare needs of hundreds of participants. Further, the City ignores the emphasis that HRI places on proper syringe handling and syringe collection. HRI strives to retrieve as many discarded syringes as feasible. As explained in the following paragraph from our application, which the City continues to leave out of the conversation, it is simply not possible for HRI to collect every single syringe it dispenses:
HRI is dedicated to collecting as many used syringes as possible, however, because there are many other places to legally dispose of syringes, HRI cannot assume that it will be able to collect all of the syringes that it distributes. HRI participants may legally dispose of syringes at sharps disposal kiosks in the community and at other syringe services programs. Further, syringes are often confiscated and disposed of by the police. This number reflects these other avenues for syringe disposal.
We hope our estimated 60% return rate is an underestimate, and plan to do everything in our power to collect as many syringes as possible from the community. HRI in no way intends to ONLY collect 120,000 needles annually. We hope that we will be able to collect more, and that people who utilize our program will use sharps disposal kiosks in the community that the CDPH has offered to provide.
As described in our CDPH application, HRI is committed to using its best efforts to collect discarded syringes. The HRI outreach team will be in the community collecting syringes from participants Monday through Friday from 9 am until 5 pm so that they can be safely disposed of. In other words, HRI will be dedicating 40 hours each week to collecting syringes from participants. HRI will also do syringe litter sweeps throughout the city, and will operate a hotline where residents can report syringe litter. We take this issue very seriously, and are committed to increasing access to proper syringe disposal in the community (whether those syringes originated with HRI or elsewhere).
Without providing any context, the City also claims that HRI is not transparent and has not worked collaboratively with the City. HRI was originally launched at a medical office under physician supervision in Santa Ana, in direct response to the City’s repeated requests in 2017 and 2018 that any syringe program be run out of a physician’s office. At the City Council meeting on September 1, 2020, Councilmember Solorio publicly stated that syringe exchange programs should be operated at medical offices so that there could be more oversight. Despite this rhetoric, on September 15, 2020, the City passed an ordinance banning Health and Safety Code syringe services programs, and resolved to pursue other enforcement action against HRI, as HRI’s operation was not authorized pursuant to the health and safety code. Despite heeding the City’s demand and doing exactly what Councilmember Solorio had asked for, the City still shut down HRI’s operations in January 2022.
Contrary to the City’s claims that HRI has refused to discuss its operations with City officials, the City has turned down HRI’s invitation to discuss HRI’s operation. In October 2022, HRI emailed the entire Santa Ana City Council asking to discuss our plan to apply to CDPH. We ultimately met with Councilmember David Penaloza and Assistant City Manager Steven Mendoza to discuss the application. When HRI asked about the City’s opposition to HRI’s medical office location, we were told that its centralized location was a problematic because it drew people from one area of the city to the other. In direct response to the City’s concern, HRI proposed switching to a home delivery system, but were told to take our program to another City. We view this suggestion as unreasonable given that the City has consistently had the highest rate of HIV transmission in Orange County since at least 2013 (according to publicly available data from the Orange County Healthcare Agency). Santa Ana is in desperate need of an SSP to address its position as the epicenter of the HIV epidemic in Orange County. As an HIV prevention agency, we must go to where the need is greatest.
Lastly, the City’s complaint that the CDPH has not yet engaged in the mandatory consultation process pursuant to the Health and Safety Code is false and misleading. HRI is aware of the CDPH’s current efforts to schedule consultation meetings with local law enforcement and the Orange County Public Health Officer, and that talks regarding the consultation phase have been going on since HRI applied in December 2023. Despite CDPH’s offer to consult with the City since January, the City has consistently dragged its feet and has made no effort to engage in good faith discussions with CDPH officials.
HRI has an excellent track record in the community. We continue to work collaboratively with several Santa Ana based organizations and are open to good faith, productive dialogue with concerned citizens and stakeholders. We provide naloxone and naloxone training to community organizations both in Santa Ana and across the county. We ran a successful syringe services program in the City for 18 months. We attempted to dialogue with the City regarding our CDPH application when we were first working on it in the fall of 2022. Based on the City’s recalcitrant and dismissive attitude, we have come to believe the City is only interested in shutting down our operation in order to appease a small but vocal minority who are opposed to our life-saving operation.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact HRI by email:
info@harmreductioninstitute.org
Click here to download a PDF version of our Press Release statement.
September 5, 2023
Press Release Statement: DESPITE TEMPORARY RESCISSION OF ITS AUTHORIZATION, HARM REDUCTION INSTITUTE REMAINS COMMITTED TO STOPPING THE SPREAD OF HIV AND OTHER BLOODBORNE DISEASES IN SANTA ANA.
SANTA ANA. Harm Reduction Institute (HRI) remains committed to distributing clean syringes and providing life-saving naloxone and other health services to the most vulnerable populations in Santa Ana. Last week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) opted to rescind HRI’s formal authorization to run a syringe exchange program in order to further engage with Santa Ana law enforcement officials regarding their concerns and the merits of syringe exchange programs. This effort comes after a lengthy public comment period and CDPH’s extensive efforts to engage public officials, including County Public Health leaders.
The California legislature has recognized that providing clean needles and syringes does not increase drug use and, in fact, can lead to treatment and recovery[1]. Studies have also shown that needle exchanges can curtail the spread of HIV and other bloodborne diseases. Based on this evidence, the Legislature authorized cities and counties to establish their own needle exchange programs. The Legislature also authorized CDPH to allow qualified private groups to conduct needle exchanges “notwithstanding any other law.” Such needle exchanges may be authorized after a 45-day public comment period and CDPH consultation with local health and law enforcement officials[2].
According to HRI Executive Director Carol Newark, HRI worked hard to satisfy state requirements and qualify as a state-authorized syringe exchange program. Among other actions, HRI met with city officials and local civic and public health leaders to exchange ideas, understand concerns, and explain HRI’s planned efforts to safely collect discarded needles.
“We welcome CDPH’s decision to make even greater efforts to consult with local law enforcement officials and to better understand their concerns. We hope and expect that after these consultations, CDPH will reissue the authorization so we can start serving the most marginalized and under-represented members of this community,” said Carol Newark. “In addition to helping stop the spread of bloodborne diseases such as Hepatitis C and HIV, we also strive to prevent overdose deaths and connect people to health and social services.”
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact HRI by email:
info@harmreductioninstitute.org
[1] Health and Welfare Code §121349(a)
[2] Health and Welfare Code §121349(b) & (c)
Click here to download a PDF version of our Press Release statement.
July 31, 2023
We are happy to announce that HRI successfully received a new grant contract with the Sierra Health Foundation to fund a full-time Outreach Specialist on our team. The Outreach Specialist will assist our staff members during street-based outreach and offer harm reduction services to clients who speak Spanish. Additionally, the Outreach Specialist will build partnerships with Latinx organizations in Santa Ana to expand our naloxone training to the Spanish speaking community.
March 30, 2023
We are happy to announce that HRI successfully received two new grant contracts this month. We received funding from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing to hire a full-time Peer Navigator to join our team. The Peer Navigator will create stronger linkages to care for substance use treatment, housing, and other resources needed by our clients. By hiring a Peer Navigator to assist clients, we will further strengthen our use of innovative harm reduction strategies by affirming people who use drugs as agents of reducing harms related to drug use.
HRI also renewed a contract with the Sierra Health Foundation to continue funding full-time salaries for our other staff members, which includes our Program Manager, Outreach Coordinator, and Treatment Navigator. With this funding, we are equipped to offer harm reduction services and support to our clients living in the city of Santa Ana.