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For five years I have led a group of 40 volunteers to clean up trash in our neighborhood around McKinley Park, Miwok Middle School, and the underpasses between Midtown and East Sacramento. On one sweep alone, our crew removed more than 100 used syringes. In some areas, especially the underpasses, we saw dozens of syringes strewn about. his opened my eyes to the level of drug use in the neighborhood.
We found a lot of needles around a homeless encampment near a child care facility. I mentioned this to a city official, who said she’d ask a local nonprofit called the Harm Reduction Services in Oak Park to provide us with a puncture-resistant bin to dispose of medical instruments.
Hmm, would that solve the problem?
I figured I’d better learn more about Harm Reduction Services, what they do and, how their needle exchange program works.
So, I visited the clinic in Oak Park. It seemed to me that most of the dilapidated building was dedicated to doling out supplies for drug users. I saw 100-count boxes of syringes, glass pipes to smoke methamphetamine, and tourniquets. They eagerly give out Narcan, a Food and Drug Administration-approved brand name for naloxone, which quickly reverses opioid overdoses.
Outside, there are two Harm Reduction Services RVs parked at the curb. I’ve seen these mobile units visit large homeless encampments near McKinley Park, the X Street Navigation Center, and Hope Cooperative at 14th and X Street. I’ve stood in line at 29th and E Street when one of the RVs pulled up. Along with a half-dozen regulars, I turned in dirty syringes. Some people picked up wound care supplies. Many walked away with black plastic bags filled with syringes, pipes, tourniquets and prep supplies. Some people turned in used syringes, but most did not.
From regularly picking up trash along our waterways for the last five years, I’ve witnessed the environmental destruction caused by illegal camping along the American River. It is mind-blowing.
While crews pick up litter, we also pick up A LOT of syringes. In two days volunteers with River City Waterway Alliance picked up 437 needles at Arcade Creek and Discovery Park. These were sharps hidden in the mud, floating in the creek or poking out at the beach.
At the river, I’ve seen the mobile units. They provide what campers ask for. They also give out information on how to do drugs. Staffers pass out “How to Smoke Meth More Safely” illustrated information sheets. The sheets advise drug users to “Go Slow! Especially if you’re just starting after a period of not using.” While information is provided on how to use drugs, I saw no information passed out about addiction treatment or recovery. It was: Get the supplies, do drugs, repeat.
Recently, Sacramento Public Library partnered with Harm Reduction Services and Sacramento County Opioid Coalition for events at the Central, McClatchy, North Highlands-Antelope, Southgate and Rancho Cordova libraries. There was candy, handouts, and Narcan in the library or the RV outside. This was no longer simply providing clean needles to prevent the spread of disease.
This was active community engagement to increase access to drug paraphernalia. This was happening at our public libraries, where kids go after school, young mothers bring their toddlers, and families peruse the shelves for books. A check of the library website shows that it paused this service to “provide a safe environment for the intended audience and our community partners.”
Perhaps the library partnership was the event that made me realize how out of whack our response to drug use, treatment, and recovery is.
Meeting people where they are and providing them with all the items to use drugs is a perfect example of enabling drug use. Addiction is a powerful, debilitating brain disease. Today we have very strong synthetic opioids which are readily available and priced to entice. Drug overdoses claimed nearly 70,000 lives in 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control. and Prevention
It is far more important to lead drug users to treatment. Let’s stop perpetuating misery. Our tax dollars are enabling drug use. Resources that should be put toward addiction treatment programs. Let’s get people out of addiction and into a lifelong process of recovery.
By strengthening relationships with family and community, recovering addicts rebuild themselves and their community. It’s high time to shift our efforts towards supporting people and building strong communities.
Amy Gardner is a founding member of Midtown-East Sac Advocates and a past board member of the Sacramento Area Creeks Council.
