“In March, a Lynn elementary school student tried to give himself a pretend flu shot with a hypodermic needle he found on the street. Last month, a couple of syringes were found in a Saugus school playground. And in Salem, one police officer said discarded needles can be found on the ground in every section of the city.

Police say cheap heroin, and a law that was passed five years ago allowing over-the-counter sales of hypodermic needles, have resulted in more needles than ever discarded on the street. “People are just throwing them everywhere — they discard them out of car windows, and on the curbside. They have no regard for people’s safety.”

http://articles.boston.com/2011-05-01/news/29493703_1_syringe-disposal-needles-medical-waste

This is a problem that quite obviously will never go away. Needle exchange schemes and accessible sharps bins located in well-advertised public places, that are properly maintained and regularly replaced must be key priorities. These are proven to be successful in manageing drug litter, and promte public

While it is not our purpose to make comment on decriminalisation of drugs of abuse the threat of prosecution, or at least of confiscation of drugs and injection gear continues to drive IV drug abuse underground, coincidentally reducing the likelihood that safe disposal facilities will be used. Drug litter will continue to be a problem, creating a hazard for communities and additional risks for litter pickers and others who deal with these discarded sharps.