The New York City Council is considering a proposal to establish a buy-back program in hopes of stemming the spike in overdose deaths and discarded used drug needles on the streets.
Introduction 609, sponsored by East Harlem Councilwoman Diana Ayala, would establish a pilot program that offers up to 20 cents for each needle, syringe, or sharp used at the city’s two legal injection sites, with a cap of $10 per individual per day.
The program would only be open to active drug users who come to an overdose prevention center (OPC), use the clean needle provided there for drug injection, and dispose of it at the site, according to the proposal. New York City currently has two OPCs, one in Washington Heights and the other in East Harlem. Both sites were opened in November 2021 as part of former mayor Bill de Blasio’s initiative to reduce overdoses….