BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Faced with an ever-growing number of discarded syringes on city streets, The Burlington City Council Monday is taking a look at how drug harm reduction efforts may be contributing to the problem.
The city in recent years has faced an ever-increasing number of discarded needles. It comes as Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak earlier this fall indicated that some of the problems appeared to be linked to unused needles.
“I met last week with front-line street workers, and they’re noting the increased number of needles on the street, but 30% of them are unused, so something’s not working in the system,” Mulvaney-Stanak said.
Neither the mayor nor Howard Center officials responded to calls for comment on how they are addressing the syringe problem.
The Burlington City Council Monday night is considering a proposal to study the effectiveness of the syringe exchange program, which was put in place to help decrease blood-borne illnesses.