CHICO, CA (MPG) - Early this year, the Downtown Chico Business Association, Gallaway Enterprises and 18 other plaintiffs sued the Northern Valley Harm Reduction Coalition, citing serious issues with its needle distribution program. 

The NVHRC needle distribution program, endorsed by the Butte County Health Department, hoped to reduce the spread of Hepatitis C and other diseases in intravenous drug users through sharing and using of dirty needles. Whether or not the program was successful at reducing transmission rates in the Chico area, residents felt that the sharp increase of discarded needles in Chico parks and neighborhoods was an even greater safety hazard.

Attorneys Rob Berry and co-counsel Walt McNeil represented the plaintiffs in the case and settlement has been reached: The NVHRC will immediately cease needle distributions in the Chico area. In addition, the NVHRC will conduct sweeps throughout Chico focusing on areas where homeless encampments are located and other hot-spots to remove and safely dispose of discarded, used syringes. The state department of public health has agreed to pay $15,000 towards the plaintiffs’ legal fees, with local health departments withdrawing their approval of the program. 

Under pressure from its residents, the Chico City Council attempted to address concerns with the needle distribution, but it took the lawsuit to shut the program down. Berry says, “What is sad and disappointing is that the city council majority could have obtained this outcome by a simple majority vote to enact a land use ordinance to ban this type of activity, mirroring what was done by Oroville, Biggs, Yuba City, Marysville and Sutter County.” He continues, “Instead, citizens had to raise tens of thousands of dollars of private money and seek legal remedies in the courts.”