Why Harm Reduction program saves lives

Former Santa Cruz Police Chief Kevin Vogel’s recent disparaging comments about the Harm Reduction program in Santa Cruz are just plain wrong. As the former county health officer in charge of the county’s syringe program, I can say unequivocally the community Harm Reduction program in Santa Cruz was a significant aid in reaching those that the county’s program could not. In addition, they collect more used syringes then they give out and provide significant referral support in order to direct those with substance use disorder to appropriate treatment.

The county’s syringe program does not follow public health guidelines as the current Board of Supervisors have limited it. The community harm reduction program does follow public health guidelines and is supported by our local and state public health professionals. Why law enforcement agencies are not supporting community harm reduction makes no sense. Decreasing hepatitis, HIV, and other diseases by making clean syringes and counseling available is crucial to saving lives and preventing significant public cost. The law enforcement community should support all efforts to prevent disease in vulnerable members of our county.

— Arnold Leff, Boulder Creek

Medieval view of women persists in election

In his Sunday commentary (Oct. 27), Eugene Robinson accurately described the double standard of women vs. men by shining a light on that very situation between Harris and Trump. From my 81 years of life, being a woman of some degree of intelligence and accomplishment, I have observed and directly experienced that men particularly born and raised in the 1950s, where “father knows best” and women were demeaned, largely carry on such prejudice through to this day.

Of course, the disdain goes back centuries, but I would hope that now, in this election, we might at last be able to overcome this medieval view of women.

— Catherine J Hudson-Webb, Santa Cruz

Are women aware of DV/IPV ongoing health risks?

I can’t help but reflect on some high profile DV/IPV related murders in our community in recent years.

Some of those homicides involved strangulation. Women should be warned that a previous act of strangulation increases their risk of being killed by 10 times.

Are enough women hearing that intimate partner violence can lead to long term negative health consequences? I didn’t know these facts when I was being abused. I didn’t understand the increased danger I was in after being strangled or that any blow to the head can cause brain injury.

We’re always asked why we didn’t leave. I haven’t seen a serious effort to inform us about the risks of staying even one more day to our future health. We think bruises fade but we don’t know the full extent of the damage.

I hope the Santa Cruz Sentinel will provide the information readers need as they face painful decisions about their relationships. Abusers might also seek treatment if they were better informed.

— T. McDaniels, Santa Cruz

Cannabis business: Pitfalls of pursuing equity

Responding to the Sentinel’s Oct. 24 “Changes to cannabis equity program,” an ever familiar theme has yet again emerged: the “equity” dilemma. This time its victims are the women who are seeking fair representation in the cannabis grant industry. When you substitute sex with gender, like the Equal Protection Clause did (a rewrite that we did not vote on), you have erased the reality of male and female and the inherent differences between them; biologically and statistically.

The cannabis business is dominated by male ownership. The “equity” concept is supposed to make things “fairer.”.But if you strip sex from our language and laws, you are left with an undefinable mess of statistics, and certainly no clarity in what you are trying to define, what is the problem, and how to solve it.

I commend Watsonville City Council members Kristal Salcido and Ari Parker for standing up for women and voting against the amendment.

Equal treatment for all people is a good thing. If you can’t define them, how can you help them?

— Lisa Smith, Soquel