Cleaning Up for Our Community.
Hello Neighbors,
Thanks are owed to The Morning Drive team on WVMT for having me on twice. It’s clear from the number of emails and calls they got that the public is invested in addressing syringe litter in Burlington.
Recently the CDNR committee had finished the Syringe Litter Report and Recommendations. This has taken us a year to get this off that ground. Good policy takes time, If policy takes a month, it’s just not good policy.
We reviewed other cities that have programs to mitigate syringe litter. We don’t have the capacity and resources to replicate these programs but here in Burlington we can still take inspiration.
I am not advocating against SSP’s. They help us prevent bloodborne diseases spreading amongst our community. I’m asking for oversight and recommend a model for that. State officials and service providers shouldn’t be able to bring in almost 1,000,000 needles and have no plan for the litter it produces.
The report makes recommendations for the City to ask AHS to create oversight and transparency measures, to fund incentives for users to return their syringes, and for the city to create a robust training and data program for volunteers.
I wish the people who were passionate about harm reduction came to the table to discuss what is not working and not just be defensive for the programs. Harm reduction is needed and important yet we have to look at ‘whole community harm reduction’.
Many people in working class jobs are put in harm's way when syringes are not properly disposed of and poke them. The cost of a needle poke is very high, some medications taken after a poke costs $200 per day for a month. Every person I have spoken with who has been victim to an unintentional needle stick has talked to me about the sheer emotional and psychological toll it has taken on them and their families. I want them to know that their safety and wellbeing matters to me.
These are not Burlington’s problems alone, this is a state problem. The State is funding SSPs and asking for other communities to develop them. We have an opportunity to lead the way on the discussion and policy for syringe litter and harm reduction.
I encourage you to listen to my interviews and reach out for questions.