The concept of needle exchanges is understandably controversial. Illicit drugs are illegal and destructive, but users are addicts who are going to inject heroin and other substances regardless of their legality. The nation’s law-enforcement-centered approach has resulted in troubling unintended consequences.

Since the 1980s, California has allowed some nonprofits to provide clean needles as part of a harm-reduction approach that’s designed to mitigate the ill effects of intravenous drugs. Providing clean needles lowers the spread of hepatitis and AIDs and can reduce the number of improperly discarded needles on streets and parks. Programs also provide an opportunity to refer clients to drug-treatment centers.

Of course, every such program needs to be evaluated for its effectiveness. Instead of trying to make a proposed exchange service work effectively, Santa Ana city officials have actively campaigned against it. They succeeded recently after the California Department of Public Health told the city that the Harm Reduction Institute withdrew its application to run a program. That was the result of an opposition campaign from city officials.

The institute had run a program there between 2016 and 2018, but the city and courts shut it down. They expressed reasonable concerns about the inadequate collection of discarded needles. The federal Centers for Disease Control says exchanges can “protect the public and first responders by facilitating the safe disposal of used needles and syringes.” But it has to be done right.

Instead of working to assure that any syringe program improves public safety, city officials dug in their heels and are celebrating their victory. That “victory,” of course, will do nothing to reduce the number of local addicts or discarded needles.

We agree with Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, who represents Santa Ana. “I don’t want to speak ill of the program — I think it has merit,” he said during a recent board meeting, per a VoiceofOC report. But he emphasized the need for a better collection system to protect the public and help gain support from local officials.

Instead of just saying “no,” Santa Ana should follow Sarmiento’s advice.