Improperly discarded hypodermic needles pose a serious health risk to everyone in the community, but what steps can be taken to safely remove these items from city streets and parks?

New Bedford Police Detective Kory Kubik explained the best practices for a situation where a needle is found in public.

“You can call the police and we come down with a ‘sharps container’ then bring the syringe back to the station to properly be discarded,” said Kubik. “If you feel that the syringe is in a spot where someone may be injured by it such as a playground then you can carefully place the syringe in a soda bottle or any other similar container then hand it over to us when we arrive.”

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health also has a fact sheet with information regarding safe disposal of needles.

Communities across the Bay State and the country are seeing a rise in the number if improperly discarded needles in public areas, and many continue to implement services to keep all residents safe.

In Boston, Mayor Marty Walsh has implemented a Mobile Sharps Team that will be dispatched when notified by the public via the Mayor’s Hotline.

New Bedford also offers resources for obtaining a personal sharps container and holds annual drug and sharps drop-off days.

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