Residents, Businesses Sue LA Health Director Over Needle Distribution in Santa Monica

‘[The program] has led to an increase in overdoses, assaults, and robberies in the three downtown parks,’ the coalition said.
Residents, Businesses Sue LA Health Director Over Needle Distribution in Santa Monica
A sign hangs on display in front of a popular shopping area of Santa Monica, Calif., on Jan. 19, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
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A coalition of residents and businesses in Santa Monica, California, is taking the Los Angeles County Public Health Department to court over its ongoing needle distribution program in the city.

By suing County Health Director Barbara Ferrer, the county Health Department, and the Venice Family Clinic, the Santa Monica Coalition is hoping to remove the county’s needle distribution activities—which provide free syringes and other equipment to drug addicts—from city parks and private property.

Jill McLaughlin
Jill McLaughlin
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Jill McLaughlin is an award-winning journalist covering politics, environment, and statewide issues. She has been a reporter and editor for newspapers in Oregon, Nevada, and New Mexico. Jill was born in Yosemite National Park and enjoys the majestic outdoors, traveling, golfing, and hiking.
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