A needle exchange program for drug users sanctioned by the Los Angeles County of Public Health operating in a handful of Santa Monica’s public spaces has sparked outrage among a coalition of business owners and residents who are calling on the county to move it indoors.
The group claims that rather than curbing drug use, the program has only attracted more transients and drug peddlers, leading to an unsafe environment for the community over the last year.
The Santa Monica Coalition—which formed last year and currently has over 2,500 members according to organizers—began circulating a petition March 19 to prevent the county’s safe needle exchange program—known as the Harm Reduction Syringe Services Program—from operating in public spaces, like the Christine Emerson Reed Park which sits across the street from a Catholic K–12 school. Over 3,500 people have signed the petition so far….