Not that the city website will bother to tell you

Wondering where to legally dispose of sharps (needles, syringes) in Medford, MA? Since 2012, Massachusetts has not allowed used sharps in household trash, but the state did not set up any consistent plan. Some health care facilities might take them, or perhaps you can find a friendly pharmacy or doctor’s office.

Here’s the official answer: Sharps can be disposed of either at Medford City Hall outside the Board of Health Room 311 or at the police station next to the prescription drug take-back box.

Leaving your used needles on the sidewalk next to the playground is not recommended, though it is an improvement over leaving them in the playground itself. So if you’re one of the people in our neighborhood who has been doing that, now you know.

Problem solved, right?

*Opiate addiction is a serious problem. The Medford Police Department documented 39 non-fatal opiate overdoses between January 2014 and January 2015. Armstrong Ambulance’s first responders used Narcan on 94 patients in Medford in 2014. Apparently the police do documentation about as well as they do anything else. And they still aren’t bothering to carry Narcan themselves, nor is the fire department. If you need help, please seek help. If you seek help, I hope you get it. But if you keep leaving your used needles where toddlers can get to them, I hope someone kicks your fucking teeth in.