posted on 4/12/2023
The public syringe disposal pilot program approved by the City Council last October was recently launched, with the installation of two needle disposal units. One is near the trailhead of the Dover Community Trail at the Transportation Center on Chestnut Street. The other is at Henry Law Park.
The City Council in October approved the pilot program, which is being launched and maintained at no cost to the city. Wentworth-Douglass Hospital is helping fund the collaborative program overseen by the Strafford County Public Health Network. The collaboration also includes the New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition, SOS Recovery Community Organization, and The Doorway, operated by the WDH. The program builds upon existing programming and infrastructure in the Dover community, including disposal units at WDH and the Dover Public Library.
The program’s purpose is to address ongoing public concerns about the improper disposal of syringes in Dover.
“Substance misuse remains an epidemic in our region,” said Peter Fifield, program manager at WDH’s Doorway. “Anything we can do to limit medical waste is very important from both a public health and quality of life perspective.”
