Butte County, CA Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)

Article VI of Chapter 15 (Sections 15-170 through 15-174) bars needle exchange or distribution programs countywide in unincorporated Butte County. Section 15-172 defines a covered program as any needle and syringe exchange or distribution program or project under which participants or operators are exempted from criminal prosecution for possessing needles or syringes. Section 15-173 makes it unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to create, establish, operate, conduct, or participate in such a program. The Board's findings in Section 15-171 tie the ban to the risk that improperly collected and discarded needles pose near levees and river bottoms, especially during high-water events, and to the County's police power under Article XI, Section 7 of the California Constitution.

Section 15-171(4) further notes that, absent this local regulation, a needle exchange program could otherwise operate in virtually any location in the County. The ordinance took effect under Ordinance No. 4201, adopted March 23, 2021. It targets organized exchange or distribution operations and any person who participates in one, whether as an operator or as a participant receiving or dispensing needles.