Needle distribution impacts
From 2016 to 2018, a needle distribution program in Santa Ana resulted in thousands of used needles and syringes being discarded in public areas frequented by children and senior citizens. These thousands of dirty needles affected public areas like the Civic Center, neighborhoods, businesses, our library, and our senior center. This needle program ended thanks to the City's legal and code enforcement efforts.
Needles found at Library, Civic Center, Senior Center 
The first needle distribution program had serious negative effects on our community, such as:
- Santa Ana Library staff routinely located 40 to 50 used and discarded needles a month.
- Dirty needles were found in the public library on the floor, in study areas, on bookshelves, in books, in bathrooms and in children’s areas.
- Needles were found outside of the library, in parking lots, around government buildings and in strewn about downtown Santa Ana.
- On one day in February 2018, maintenance staff picked up approximately 40 needles in the Civic Center.
- In February 2018, Santa Ana Senior Center staff picked up approximately 50 needles at Birch Park in their normal clean-up before opening.
- In response to the number of needles and homeless-related crimes, the City of Santa Ana hired a security company to patrol the Civic Center, including removal of used needles, at a cost of over $1 million a year.
- 250,000 needles were distributed but never collected by the provider during the last needle distribution program.
- In their application, the program plans to hand out at least 600 needles to 500 people annually. That’s 300,000 needles total. The program says they PLAN to collect 60% of those needles, leaving 120,000 needles unaccounted for.
