Wise move to follow Lowell’s lead in cleaning up syringes

While some might just dismiss it as just another unsightly piece of litter, its health risks far exceed any visual concerns over mounting urban blight.

A byproduct of this country’s substance- abuse epidemic, they’re ticking time bombs lying in wait for some child, unsuspecting adult or addict in need of a fix.

Removing them may not have much impact on reducing illegal drug use, but it could save someone from contracting HIV or hepatitis from an inadvertent needle prick.

That’s especially true when dealing with the scale that confronts Andres Gonzalez, the city of Lowell’s syringe collection program coordinator.

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