Santa Rosa, CA Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)

' Subsection (7) states plainly that no person shall discard hypodermic needles in any public place, except in a designated container designed for disposal of sharps waste. The rule sits inside the same list of camping-related health and safety requirements as the bans on dumping gray water (bath, sink, washing machine and kitchen waste water) or black water (sewage) onto sidewalks, streets, parks or storm drains (C)(3), the ban on open fires except in City-installed cooking facilities (C)(6), and the ban on unpermitted electrical connections and possession of combustible or flammable gas or liquids (C)(4)-(5).

The City Code does not set out a separate needle-exchange or harm-reduction siting process in this chapter; the sharps-disposal duty applies to individuals camping on public property, not to any program operator. 040(A), and the conduct is also declared a public nuisance that the City may abate under Chapter 20-68. The chapter was adopted by Ordinance 2023-012 on August 22, 2023, and defines 'public property' broadly to include all City-owned streets, sidewalks, rights-of-way and facilities.