City Council highlights first annual Needle Take Back Day

As it stands, there are only 12 permanent locations that provide safe and free needle collection in the entire City of Boston. Due to the insufficient number of safe drop-off sites, a great volume of residents who use sharps, syringes, or needles — legally for medical treatment or illegally for illicit drug use — are improperly disposing of sharps in household trash, parks, and public spaces.

During this week’s Council meeting, Councilor Essaibi-George recognized volunteers and health center representatives who participated in the City’s first Needle Take Back Day held on April 25, 2019. Seventeen health centers offered temporary collection hours and provided residents with information about the permanent collection centers throughout Boston.

Needle exposure is a critical public safety threat for residents that affects the entire City of Boston. “The success of our Needle Take Back Day shows the importance of consistent access to safe needle disposal sites across our City. I look forward to continuing this work with our community health centers [and] our pharmacies across the City,” said Councilor Essaibi-George, who also filed legislation during this week's meeting to provide safe disposal of sharps through the establishment of a Product Stewardship Program.