The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is hosting a community meeting to gather feedback from residents on the harm reduction syringe services programs. This meeting will take place on March 29 from 9am to 11am at the Zev Yaroslavsky Family Support Center in Van Nuys, CA. Seat availability for in-person attendance will be limited and based on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents can also attend virtually through Zoom by registering using the provided link.
During the meeting, residents 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 ahead of time, remarks related to the harm reduction syringe services programs can be submitted through a webform. This issue was recently discussed in a City Council meeting and resulted in a 4-3 split vote expressing disapproval of Los Angeles County’s implementation of the program in Santa Monica.
Andrew Thomas, CEO of DTSM, expressed his satisfaction with the upcoming community meeting, stating that it will address concerns raised by residents regarding the harm reduction syringe services program. He anticipates that the discussion will continue from the recent City Council meeting to this community meeting.