'Needles For Drug Users' Fight Ends In Santa Cruz County

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — A program that would have expanded the handout of clean hypodermic needles in Santa Cruz County has been curtailed, in large part due to public outcry. The California Department of Public Health notified Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart that the Harm Reduction Coalition of Santa Cruz County withdrew its application for additional syringe services in the region, the sheriff's office said Wednesday. The sheriff's office applauded the move, stating on social media, "Community participation matters! We want to thank everyone who voiced their opinion by commenting and sharing."

The news came just hours before the California Department of Public Health's mandated 45-day public comment period was set to close Friday on the application from the coalition. The group has been serving as an intermediary between Santa Cruz County’s Syringe Services Program and intravenous drug users by distributing and collecting needles in Santa Cruz and Watsonville. If its recent application had moved forward, the group would have been able to deal directly with a sterile injection supplier. The primary goal of the county's SSP program is to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases associated with injection drug use and to address the community's concern regarding improperly discarded syringes, according to the county.

The Harm Reduction Coalition's mission, according to its website, is to "challenge the persistent stigma faced by people who use drugs and advocate for policy and public health reform."

Hart, along with Santa Cruz Police Chief Andy Mills and Watsonville Police Chief Dave Honda had joined with officials and community members in opposing The Harm Reduction Coalition of Santa Cruz's application.