The city of Keene installed syringe deposit boxes last spring around town to decrease the risk and spread of diseases from used syringes to make the city safer.
The Collection Program is a joint effort from the police station, the Keene Serenity Center and the Keene Public Library. The boxes are known as “sharp containers,” which make it easy for those who need to dispose of a needle without littering and potentially spreading disease to those who come across it.
The syringes are for those who are either taking drugs or using injectable medications. These boxes are available in two public parks, the Patricia T. Russell Park and the Water Street basketball courts, as well as the library’s restrooms and the police station. All of these spaces are used regularly, giving easy access to those who need them without being ashamed.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), someone who comes in contact with a needle that had fentanyl in it can also come in contact with the substance. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also states that those who come in contact with a used syringe may be at risk of disease, such as hepatitis B or C and HIV.
These boxes aim to eliminate these risks while keeping the city clean. In 2019, a Miami Program study revealed that there was a 49% cut in the number of syringes found littered after safety disposal boxes were installed. The boxes in Keene show the progress in the city in talking about substance misuse disorder (SUD) without any stigma towards the users.
The boxes are checked every other day by the Serenity Center, a local recovery center for those seeking recovery from SUD, and they are emptied when full. The waste is brought to a company that incinerates the syringes for $800 a month, a small cost for the protection of the city. This cost is paid for by the NH Harm Reduction Coalition, and with the help of a few other organizations.
The Serenity Center also runs a harm reduction program, giving those who use drugs clean syringes, known as a syringe service program. This also reduces risk of disease for those using syringes, and increases the safety of the general public. Although those using that program are given a card so local law enforcement will not charge them with drug paraphernalia (possessing items used in the production or use of drugs), Chief Steve Stewart said that they are “not doing a lot of paraphernalia charges, anyway.”
The most used box so far is the one located in the police station, collecting around 200 a month. The Serenity Center also provides single-use sharp collection vials to officers so they can easily collect syringes they find or during an arrest.
It’s a possibility that more containers will be installed, including in the youth area of the library because of the number of kids with severe disabilities, so if one of them needs medical assistance from their aides, there is a safe box for the syringe. They also hope to install one at the Ashuelot River Park.
This is one step towards a safer city for its citizens, and these boxes will continue to provide that service for the foreseeable future.
Hayley Doda can be contacted at
hdoda@kscequinox.com
