The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will be hosting a community meeting to gather feedback from residents on the harm reduction syringe services programs. The meeting will take place on March 29 from 9am to 11am at the Zev Yaroslavsky Family Support Center in Van Nuys, CA. The meeting will be held in person and virtually through Zoom.
Seat availability for in-person attendance will be limited and based on a first-come, first-served basis. Virtual attendees can register for the meeting using the provided link. 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 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.
The CEO of DTSM, Andrew Thomas, 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.