Police Warn of Hypodermic-Needle Danger

North Reading police are warning residents to avoid handling syringes after receiving several reports of needles being found in local neighborhoods.

Police received numerous calls in March and early April from people who found dirty syringes on the side of the road. The reports were not isolated to any particular area of town, according to police.


"We've seen an increase in needles improperly disposed of on the side of the road," said Police Chief Edward W. Nolan. "It is a real concern."

North Reading police believe that a state law passed in 2006 allowing people to purchase and carry hypodermic needles without a prescription has contributed to the increase in syringes being found in local neighborhoods.

Lawmakers passed the measure with the aim of preventing the spread infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C through shared needles by allowing anyone to purchase clean ones.

It had been illegal to possess a hypodermic needle without a prescription prior to the law change. According to press reports at the time, Massachusetts became the 48th state to remove the prescription requirement.

According to police, the number of syringes recovered from public places since the law took effect in 2006 has more than tripled. Police believe the change in the law has devalued the street worth of syringes, making them more accessible to illicit drug users.

The discarding of dirty hypodermic needles has become an issue across the Boston area. In late March, two Lynn elementary school students were pricked by a needle that one found on the street on his way to school.

According to press reports, one student used the needle to give his friend a pretend flu shot. School Superintendent Catherine Latham told the Daily Item of Lynn that both students sought medical attention, but she declined to disclose their conditions, citing privacy laws.

North Reading police realize that incident may not be an isolated one.

"We are very concerned about a child picking up a contaminated needle," Nolan said.

North Reading police urge residents to avoid touching needles if they find them on the side of the road. They also should not let their pets come into contact with the needles, police said.