Friday, February 22, 2013

Troubles for Santa Cruz Needle Exchange Program

Earlier this month the Santa Cruz City Council approved a plan to closely monitor the volunteer run street outreach needle exchange program. The vote came a day after the city attorney issued a cease and desist order against the Street Outreach program that has operated for more than 20 years from a parking lot in the beach flats neighborhood, an area frequented by drug users. The order requires the landlord to prevent the operation, which is run out of a minivan three nights a week. The street outreach program has been forced to relocate to a less populated area on the outskirts of town. Irene Rible reports from Santa Cruz.