San Diego County’s Proposed “Harm Reduction” Strategy Threatens Community Well-being and Stability

The County of San Diego’s consideration of implementing a “Harm Reduction” strategy, masquerading as a homelessness solution has ignited profound concerns among community members. This misguided plan, if approved, would involve distributing free needles and various drug paraphernalia to individuals living on the streets. Such an approach disregards the underlying causes of homelessness and jeopardizes community safety, risking the descent into chaos, and devastation witnessed in cities like San Francisco.

The proposed strategy encompasses an array of items, including sterilized syringes, personal sharps disposal containers, safer injection, and wound care supplies, naloxone, fentanyl test strips, condoms, lubrication packets, educational materials on HIV and STD prevention, as well as safer smoking supplies. While the intention may be to reduce the harm associated with substance abuse, this approach falls woefully short of addressing the complex web of issues contributing to homelessness—chief among them addiction.

As a Celebrate Recovery leader who has led thousands of people to treatment and recovery, this one thing I know is true. Enabling is disabling.

“Harm Reduction” is not working. It is destroying lives and encouraging addiction which is destroying families. It is a misguided attempt that seems loving but is comparable to giving someone a rope who is considering suicide.

Homeless deaths have increased sixfold since 2012, and overdoses are at an all-time tragic high.

Instead of giving away free crack pipes that wind up as trash on our sidewalks that our children have to walk around to get to school, we should offer hope and treatment. I refuse to stand by as our community faces the specter of spiraling into the same abyss of chaos and suffering besieged cities like San Francisco. This ill-conceived approach only perpetuates addiction without truly addressing the underlying challenges. Our community deserves comprehensive solutions that address substance abuse while providing genuine pathways out of homelessness.

We implore concerned community members to act immediately by voicing their opposition to this detrimental proposal. By providing invaluable input through the link below, we can collectively make a resounding impact, deterring the implementation of this harmful strategy and safeguarding the well-being of our community.

Link to comment: bit.ly/44d6e4B

Together, we can send a message that the residents of San Diego County refuse to permit our streets to transform into breeding grounds for addiction and despair. Let us mobilize our friends, families, and neighbors to join us in this fight to protect the essence of our community, demanding comprehensive and practical solutions.