A proposed Phoenix city ordinance (Ordinance G-7467) may halt harm-reduction services and administration of medical care in city parks. If passed, this ordinance would directly threaten Street Medicine Phoenix operations at Margaret Hance Park, limiting access to essential care for unhoused community members.

The details of this ordinance (located on page 332) are as follows:

"This ordinance prohibits events designed to provide medical treatment or care to the public, the sale or exchange of syringes and needles, and the sale or distribution of harm reduction kits in City parks and mountain preserves, as defined by Chapter 24 of the Phoenix City Code. The new ordinance does not apply to first responders, family members administering aid to another family member, or a person rendering aid to another person experiencing an emergency, including an emergency that requires the administering of Naloxone. The prohibition does not apply to the distribution of Naloxone in either a non-emergency or emergency situation."

We urge community members, healthcare providers, students, and advocates to stand in support of maintaining life-saving services in public spaces and to consider attending the City Council meeting on Wednesday, December 17 at 2:30 PM to vote NO on Ordinance G-7467. 

Please visit the end of this petition for instructions on how to attend and register to speak.

By signing this petition, you affirm that access to basic medical care and harm-reduction services in public parks is essential to protecting the health, dignity, and safety of Phoenix’s unhoused residents.

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Petition updated 12/15 to include the Letter of Opposition written by Street Medicine Phoenix below: 

City of Phoenix Council Members,

We write as a group of physicians, medical professionals, medical students, and community members involved with or supporting Street Medicine Phoenix (SMP). We strongly oppose the proposed ordinance as written, which would prohibit and criminalize the provision of medical care and evidence-based harm reduction services to the public in Phoenix’s public parks.

SMP works to meet the unmet needs of Phoenix’s unhoused community through screening (blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, HIV, hepatitis C), wound care and basic treatment, vaccinations, vision exams and prescription glasses, mental health screening, veterinary care, and more. We also provide free clothing and, in the summer, heat relief. From 2017 to 2023, Street Medicine Phoenix served 11,782 participants, a high-risk population in which 80.4% screened positive for elevated blood glucose and 83.7% for elevated blood pressure. In addition to addressing immediate needs, SMP serves as a critical entry point into the healthcare system by connecting patients to Federally Qualified Health Centers and community resources for ongoing management of chronic disease. Under this ordinance, many of these routine preventive services would constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor unless authorized by the City, yet the ordinance provides no clear standards, criteria, or process for such authorization.

Margaret T. Hance Park is the Street Medicine Phoenix location that will be most directly impacted by this ordinance. It serves as a trusted access point for care for individuals who live nearby, lack transportation, or have experienced stigma or trauma in traditional healthcare settings. They know that, on specific days and times, they can receive wound care, basic primary care, naloxone, harm reduction supplies, and connections to housing, mental health services, and substance use treatment. For many, this is their only access to harm reduction supplies, and early treatment of infections that would otherwise progress to sepsis, hospitalization, or amputation. Furthermore, Street Medicine Phoenix was awarded a Maricopa County grant this year to expand harm reduction services; this ordinance, as written, will significantly impact our ability to fulfill the grant obligations we are expected to meet.  

This ordinance would also undermine other programs, including Circle the City’s street medicine program, Shot in the Dark, and Riot Phoenix. Together, these organizations provide evidence-based services that reduce overdose deaths, prevent infectious disease, and decrease reliance on emergency services across Phoenix.

We anticipate that some may argue these restrictions are necessary to keep parks “safe” or “family‑friendly.” Removing medical and harm reduction services does not remove drug use or homelessness from public spaces; it only removes support for some of our most vulnerable neighbors. Our presence in parks allows for crisis de-escalation and early treatment of medical problems before they require ambulance calls or emergency department visits. Far from making parks less safe, these services increase safer substance use practices, prevent overdoses in bathrooms and playgrounds, and connect people to long‑term care. This benefits not only patients but families, children, and all park users.

Decades of research show that harm‑reduction programs, particularly syringe services and naloxone distribution, save lives and do not increase drug use or crime. They reduce HIV and hepatitis C transmission, decrease injection‑related infections, and increase entry into substance‑use treatment, with no increase in initiation or frequency of drug use. For these reasons, the State of Arizona explicitly authorized overdose and disease-prevention programs through A.R.S. § 36-798.51 in 2021. The proposed ordinance directly prohibits events organized pursuant to this statute, placing Phoenix in conflict with state-authorized public-health policy.

While the ordinance includes limited exemptions for first responders and emergency naloxone administration, these provisions apply only after a crisis has occurred. The work of SMP and similar organizations focuses on preventing emergencies by treating infections early, managing chronic disease, providing sterile equipment, and educating people to avoid life-threatening overdoses. Emergency‑only exemptions cannot replace ongoing, community‑based care in settings where overdose is a leading cause of premature death.​

For these reasons, we respectfully request that the Council:

Vote no on the proposed ordinance as written; or, at minimum, amend the ordinance to explicitly exempt:

-Licensed healthcare professionals and supervised trainees providing free or low‑barrier medical care in public spaces; and
-State‑authorized harm‑reduction programs operating pursuant to A.R.S. § 36‑798.51; and
-Recognized community organizations, including Street Medicine Phoenix, Circle the City, Shot in the Dark, and Riot Phoenix, that deliver evidence‑based, public‑health services in collaboration with local health departments and social‑service agencies.

If the Council is not prepared to adopt these exemptions, we ask that it convene a stakeholder working group, including individuals with lived experience of homelessness, harm reduction organizations, public health experts, and individuals in healthcare, and consult with the Arizona Department of Health Services and Maricopa County Public Health before moving forward. As an alternative, the Council could consider designated areas in parks where medical care may be provided.

We share the City’s goals of reducing overdose deaths, preventing infectious disease, and enhancing public health and safety. The most effective way to achieve these goals is to support, not criminalize, evidence‑based harm‑reduction and street‑medicine programs that are already operating within the framework of Arizona law. We are eager to work with you and with City staff to craft solutions grounded in science, compassion, and respect for human dignity.​

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Do you disagree with this ordinance? Here’s what you can do to help protect access to care for our unhoused community members!

1. Visit this link to review the ordinance detailed on page 332
2. Attend the City Council meeting THIS Wednesday, December 17th, at 2:30PM
   1. In person: City Council Chambers (200 W. Jefferson St.)
   2. Virtually: Virtual attendance is an option! Visit this link
      1. Showing up in person is more beneficial!
   3. Phone call: call 602-666-0783 and Enter Meeting ID 2550 346 7770#
3. If you’re able to attend the meeting via these options, please REGISTER to speak!
   Instructions on how to register to speak can be found here
4. If you’re able to attend the meeting or not, consider emailing your city council rep and the mayor. It has a large impact.
   1. Determine which district you live in by visiting this link
      1. If you live in Midtown, you live in District 4!
         1. Your Councilmember is Laura Pastor.
            1. Use these emails: council.district.4@phoenix.gov and mayor.gallego@phoenix.gov
      2. You can draft your own email or utilize this ACLU template!
         1. It will send an email automatically on your behalf. 
5. You can also submit comments regarding this ordinance here.
6. Sign this petition!