Hundreds of Chico citizens show up for needle protest
A sign that reads, “Would u give a suicidal persona gun? Then why give an addict a syringe?
A deafening crowd of protesters clogged the sidewalk and steps around the Chico City Council chambers to show discontempt for the North Valley Harm Reduction Coalition on the corner of East Fourth and Main streets last Tuesday.
The bulk of the protestors encouraged their elected officials to maintain the Sit and Lie ordinance and ban the NVHRC from utilizing a syringe distribution program. The program aims to help drug users safely dispose of unclean or used syringes and exchange for clean ones. However, Chico citizens expressed concern about an apparent increase in needles found across town.
“Any program that thinks handing needles to drug users is going to help them or help our town, is crazy,” president of the Chico State College Republicans and Chico State Students for Trump Michael Curry said.
“We’re hoping that the programs get banned, there’s no reason for them; they’re immoral, unethical and a terrible thing to do, especially for people struggling with addiction,” Curry said. “To give them the opportunity to go through with their vice, it’s really not a good plan for any human being to consider.”
The crowd supporting the ban was made up of local business owners and community members holding signs that read “Kids before needles,” “Kids lives matter,” “Business United for safety” and “Nobody is above the law, not even bums + junkies.” Most of the anti-needle distribution protestors wore fluorescent green shirts in solidarity for their cause.
“Our waterways are being totally dissolved with debris and needles and it’s going to kill whatever goes downstream,” Chico resident of 72 years Patsy Stile said.
Toward the stairs of the city council chambers on East Fourth Street was a smaller group of counter protestors who supported the NVHRC syringe access program. Their signs read “Public health is public safety,” and “I support evidence based research.”
Lindsay Briggs, assistant professor at Chico State’s Public Health and Health Services Administration Department, was one of several speakers at the city council meeting. She spent her allotted two minutes making the argument that there is scientific data supporting the positives of the syringe program and that science should supplant the opinions of people who disagree.
“My reason for being here and what I hope to accomplish is to ask policy makers to use evidence-based programs and interventions in their policies,” Briggs said outside after speaking to the council. “We shouldn’t give into the whims of hysterical people that are scared or people that are reacting. What we need to do is look at science and data.”
The sit-lie ordinance, a municipal law which prohibits sitting or lying on the sidewalk or in other public spaces, was upheld Tuesday night by the city council. The syringe distribution program remains on the agenda.
Joshua Crane // Apr 17, 2020 at 10:12 pm
Save chico!! free the needles!!!
Jim Willoughby // Apr 10, 2020 at 3:07 pm
To everyone who thinks it’s beneficial to support these programs like needle distribution and disposal, aren’t you just enabling drug users? Instead, let’s allocate funds to help get these people clean and off the streets! We have so many vacant buildings in Chico that could be converted into rehab centers and temporary housing. They deserve a second chance instead of being thrown some needles to keep on the same track. Remember the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result. You’re only feeding an addiction and at the same time saying it’s ok to do drugs in our community!
julie // Mar 29, 2020 at 9:31 am
“Discontempt” is not a word.
Phil Johnson // Mar 18, 2020 at 4:44 pm
These protesters have the right to protest, but they are uninformed, ignorant fools. I agree with M. Ford in that this program will improve public health, save more lives, and more tax dollars in the long run.
Also , shame on that landowner who put up that poster on HWY 99 near the Worm Farm with the needles that said Chico was San Francisco. Fear based propaganda and lies trying to focus the issue on other cities rather than ourselves does not make the situation go away, and only hardens the divide between these disagreeing groups.
M.Ford // Mar 18, 2020 at 1:21 pm
As to my last comment I would like to make clear that I do not advocate illegal drug use and that there are city’s with successful models of this program that should be a looked at as a solution to an unavoidable problem that plagues many communities .It’s my intent to shine a light on a realistic solution not to say that I condone or advocate illegal drugs but to open the minds of the reality of the situation . This problem will not go away should there be no needle exchange but maybe enforcing the actual exchange of needle for needle will clean up the community’s ongoing problem with irresponsible and reckless users disposing of needles inappropriately within our community .
M.Ford // Mar 18, 2020 at 12:55 pm
To the the protesters that put so much time and effort into something that they clearly have not put nearly as much time to do there homework or any research into what they are even protesting against ,I would just like to give u a few key points on the argument that u are submitting and the reality of what will happen should u be successful.
1. The very definition of an attic implies that should they receive a clean needle or have no choice but to reuse an unsafe needle they will in fact do what they are going to do .
The silly and excuse my for lack of a better word ignorant comparison to giving a suicidal person a gun lacks some understanding of the two subjects and implies that should u not give an attic a clean needle they will stop being an attic at that very moment and just not use ever again.
That is the argument of a person with no knowledge of either subject and frankly idiotic.
If u are going to put your time and conviction to a cause educate yourself on said cause . if u were to look at this from the point of said argument that would be like saying if u don’t provide a person with contraceptives they just won’t have sex .I believe we all know better than that and can agree that argument does not hold water .
Let’s look at the end result of what this looks like for those who’s narrow minded and archaic views do not include actual facts .
Fact * if u do not give an attic a safe needle said attic will still use ,u will not in fact heal said attic and save them from ever using again .for those that do not understand the implications of no needle program let me paint a picture .a person who is intending to use will use with or without a safe needle by not giving that person a safe needle u are not preventing them from anything other than doing less harm .
Cause and effect the cause unable to get safe needle to use.
Affect * will potentially get or spread disease such as hepatitis ,AIDS or many others as well as get sores infections from dirty needles that will ultimately spread through the community not to mention the long term inevitable hospital visits the long term treatments for said disease or diseases the hospital stays that cost the city and the tax payers a hefty price that is ongoing and only grows from there .end result a community that not only has to flip the bill for all of the treatments and hospital visits but a community at a high risk of contracting a communicable disease from the interaction of these users with any number of situations like bars , college parties a friend of a friend and any other possible scenario where any one of these users might briefly interact with random people from the community.
So in the end u have not saved an attic from using u have only aided in putting the very community that u are trying to save in a much worse spot than it was in to begin with .
Valerie // Mar 18, 2020 at 8:41 am
These protesters are suffering from ignorance-induced hysteria. The data shows that needle programs reduce the spread of disease AND the incidence of improper disposal of needles. Get the facts, people.
Joel Castle // Mar 18, 2020 at 12:06 am
All protests against needle exchange have no merit and, the sit and lie law is unconstitutional Inviting lawsuits.