i live in vancouver there are lots of services that give away free clean needles to junkies its nice for the users but bad for everyone else as these people will often and then they end up throwing them in bushes, on the ground. or even deliberately sticking them in telephone poles and breaking them off so passeres by people get pricked.
It would be cool ifneddle dispensaries only gave away needles if you returned your old ones as a way of ensuring they wouldnt be hidden randomly in public places.-- bob, Jul 09 2019 Wikipedia: Needle exchange programme https://en.wikipedi..._exchange_programme [jutta, Jul 16 2019] That's called a needle exchange program.
I don't know whether there's data on the difference between exchange and non-exchange programs in terms of needles popping up in the environment -- this might have more to do with other factors i.e. do you get arrested if a syringe is found on your person and you can't prove you have some other medical need for it?-- jutta, Jul 16 2019 I thought the needle exchange program was better spelled and grammard.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 16 2019 random, halfbakery