Syringe Services Programs: Los Angeles County Invites Community Feedback at Upcoming Meeting

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is hosting a community meeting to gather feedback from residents on harm reduction syringe services programs. The meeting will be held on March 29th from 9 am to 11 am at the Zev Yaroslavsky Family Support Center in Van Nuys, CA. Both in-person seating and virtual attendance via Zoom are available.

In-person seating will be limited and given on a first-come, first-served basis. Virtual attendees can register for the meeting using the link provided. Residents attending the meeting will have the opportunity to provide comments during the public comment portion of the agenda.

For those unable to attend in person or who wish to provide comments in advance, objections to harm reduction syringe service programs can be submitted via a web form. The issue was recently discussed at a City Council meeting and resulted in a split 4-3 vote disapproving of the implementation of the program in Los Angeles County in Santa Monica.

Andrew Thomas, executive director of DTSM, expressed satisfaction with the upcoming community meeting, stating that it will address residents’ concerns about the Harm Reduction Syringe Services program. He anticipates that the discussion will continue from where it left off after the recent City Council meeting.