Burlington's syringe exchange program is under renewed scrutiny

BURLINGTON, Va. (WCAX) – Faced with an ever-growing number of discarded syringes on city streets, the Burlington City Council on Monday is exploring how drug harm reduction efforts could be contributing to the problem.

The city has been dealing with an increasing number of discarded needles in recent years. Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak indicated earlier this fall that some problems appeared to be related to unused needles.

“I met with frontline outreach workers last week, and they are noticing the increased number of needles on the streets, but 30% of them are unused, so something is not working in the system,” Mulvaney-Stanak said.

Neither the mayor nor Howard Center officials responded to calls seeking comment on how they are addressing the spraying problem.

The Burlington City Council will consider a proposal Monday evening to study the effectiveness of the syringe exchange program, which was created to help reduce blood-borne diseases.