David Anderson

Why are some people willing to avoid all visible experiences both here and globally to embrace a "harm reduction strategy" for drug use. Search it out. They don't have the proof that they claim. The evidence is not with them. So why are reasonably intelligent people swept along with SB 249? PLENTY of experts told them it would not work.

It is largely because as a tool, harm reduction does help when properly paired with a strategy to push people towards recovery. It is giving more time to reach people.

All Harm reduction isn't equal. We know that needle exchange doesn't help drug use, but it helps slow the spread of disease so it has been a net benefit in the eyes of public health officials. That is 20 years old from Margaret Rose Henry.

Naloxone is not controversial. It saves lives. The problem is people are starting to rely on it. They are becoming immune to its effectiveness. Some people need 3 sprays instead of 1. In a couple of years, we will just have delayed not prevented anything for the hardcore addicts. Numbers will go back up. New drugs are not responding to it. Currently, it's our best tool, for dealing with overdoses. Reps Tim Dukes, Barberi, Paradee and 10 others advanced Narcan a dozen years ago.

Test strips are legal and used by public health in 45 states including Delaware for years. I have distributed them with Naloxone myself.

We use proven harm reduction.

The problem is we don't use proven treatment strategies to the level we should. We detox pretty well, but we woefully lack 90 day plus in patient treatment. Detox is not treatment.

So what's my problem with SB 249? It goes beyond the proven harm reduction tools and substitutes alleged harm reduction for a drug strategy. It has failed everywhere. Canadians are pushing back on this as well as places like Seattle, San Francisco and others. It's not exactly just a right wing evaluation.

The bill provides for better tourniquets, cookers and decriminalization of drug paraphernalia. That is exactly the opposite of what works. NIH has shown that drug court and mandatory treatment is as effective or almost as effective as voluntary treatment. Considering that continuing harm reduction leads to death among many, abandoning tools like paraphernalia laws just lead to more deaths, but also destroys neighborhoods and eventually cities. Economies are damaged. The quality of life crimes soar. Environmental damage of drugs and paraphernalia in the streets. That's harm increase. It's not even evaluated in their studies.

They use the name. Harm reduction and cite unrelated studies. We are already doing what they want. They think by doubling down, we will succeed. They refuse to look at best practices like mandatory treatment options because they are stuck in ideology. They rather do what fails. Failure doesn't scare them as much as being wrong.

They quote mantras like follow the science, evidence based and you can't arrest yourself out of the problem. Unfortunately, they don't actually read the sources they are quoted, they aren't following the evidence and you really can arrest yourself out of the problem if your solution is treatment. Everything they have been told is a lie. It's not working so they soothe themselves with secular articles of faith.

The rest of us can't afford to be part of a failed experiment. Tuesday could be our deadline. We must take a stand. Don't let it be a veto proof majority. Then everyone target the Governor's office. This may be the most dangerous bill for families ever having a chance to pass in Delaware in my lifetime. The damage may be unbearable.

The solution is use the drug settlement money to expand treatment and recovery services along with outreach.

Happy Juneteenth. Our theme is safety = compassion

Happy Juneteenth, freedom day! No trash pick up or city offices open. Enjoy the celebration on Legislative Mall at 1. I am happy to have been a part of making it happen.

161 years ago, the promise of Freedom was finally extended in December to everyone in America. Juneteenth the old regime was broken. Freedom rang from Maine to Texas.

The new Republican party succeeded where others hadn't. The nation was changed forever. Today, legal slavery exists almost no where in the world. We need to rededicate ourselves to ending widespread human trafficking so this evil doesn't resurface.

If you suspect something, contact the police or National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or text "HELP" or "BEFREE" to 233733.

Have a wonderful holiday as we continue the freedom season, Memorial day, Flag day, Juneteenth and Independence day.

MEMORANDUM
To: The Honorable Members of the Delaware House Health and Human
Development Committee
From: David L. Anderson, Councilmember, City of Dover Delaware
Date: June 17, 2026
Subject: Senate Bill 249
I strongly oppose Senate Bill 249. This bill is unnecessary and would be devastating
to the efforts of local governments to help those in need of our assistance not
enablement. Harm reduction is the wrong approach. Evidence-based practices are
far better.
Some harm reductions are proven to be a tool to connect people to abstinence or
treatment services. We already have clean needles, test strips, Naloxone and those
elements in law. I support those actively. This expansion is a road to
decriminalization and emphasizes making people more comfortable in destructive
behavior instead of offering a better way. The evidence supports a model based in
education, treatment and life support. Harm reduction as a strategy is a failure
being abandoned around the nation. It must be a tool within a framework not a
strategy.
I live a block away from a Brandywine Counseling needle exchange site. On
Wednesdays, we know because sometimes those addicted sit in our neighborhood.
We tolerate that because it is better than them having a disease on top of the
struggle for addiction. We have had to aid in overdose recovery. I not only have
Naloxone, but trained people in its use. I was a cofounder of the VINES Community
Project which is the official Kent County Delaware National Guard Counter Drug
Task Force partner. I have participated in the state programs, volunteered on drug
giveaways, driven people to treatment, given kits with Naloxone and test trips to
citizens, supported a city behavioral health unit in the Police Department and more.
We have educated hundreds of children with a unique support system called the
Ambassador program. We support the hot zone approach. We promote expired drug
collection. Now that drug use and overdoses are going down, why do we want to go
to an enablement model. We need to use an empowerment model to help people
get free of addiction.
P.O. Box 475 ❖ Dover, Delaware ❖19903
Community Excellence Through Quality Service
Anderson – Senate Bill 249 – Page 2
I have also worked with federal and local efforts to clear my neighborhoods of drug
houses and a business that sold paraphernalia. Once those were gone crime
dropped like a rock. We no longer had shootings a couple times a week, we have
none now. Bringing it back in another form will destroy us.
What I cannot imagine is the value of providing free materials to use drugs that is not
related to health or testing to make sure people are not poisoned by nefarious
figures. That money needs to be targeted to
treatment, not just detox. Our focus should be helping people reclaim their lives,
not making them more comfortable in a slow su***de of themselves, their families
and our communities.
This bill will not be harm reduction for the families stuck with someone who is more
comfortable continuing a destructive addiction. Children will be harmed,
grandparents will be victims of more theft, parents will suffer. This is not
compassion.
I have been active in this space for years as a citizen. Please do not make our work
harder.
Thank you

How should cities deal with rising public safety worries? - Bay to Bay News Concerns about panhandling, drug abuse, homelessness and public safety seem to be building in Dover and other communities. What do you think local governments should prioritize to overcome these issues?

It appears that you can't demand road improvements then go back and say they need a traffic study.

2-million-square-foot warehouse plan near Middletown scores legal win Delaware’s top court handed the developer of a massive warehouse project near Middletown a legal win following local traffic concerns.

Happy 251st U. S. Army! Freedom's guardians.

This is why I want to use every tool in the box to save lives and catch bad people.

🚨 SHOTS FIRED INVESTIGATION 🚨
Dover Police are investigating a shots fired incident that occurred in the 300 Block of Topaz Circle early Saturday morning.

Read the full release here: 🔗https://doverpolice.org/2026/06/14/dover-police-investigating-shots-fired-incident-in-emerald-pointe-6-14-26/

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dover Police at (302) 736-7111 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-3333.