Santa Ana Shut Down A Needle Exchange Because Of Syringe Litter, But Experts Say They Actually Help
"If you have a syringe litter problem, you need more needle exchanges not less, because they give people an incentive to safely dispose of their syringes," says Ricky Bluthenthal, a professor at the University of Southern California.
KPCC:
How Effective Are Needle Exchange Programs?
Santa Ana has shut down the only needle exchange program serving Orange County. The city denied the program permits to continue operating because of complaints about an increase in discarded needles around the city's Civic Center. (Henderson, 2/6)
In other public health news —
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Rising Alarm Over Xanax Abuse By Sonoma County Students
As the nation wrestles with an opioid crisis, another category of prescription drugs is popping up on Sonoma County school campuses. A growing number of kids are abusing the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, school and law enforcement officials say, and it’s not just in high schools. It’s part of a class of psychoactive drugs known as benzodiazepine, and they also are creeping into middle schools throughout Sonoma County, where 765 students were suspended this past school year for drugs, including alcohol and marijuana. (González, 2/6)