New York City Expands Controversial Syringe Return Program
Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s administration has made a contentious pilot initiative permanent, which incentivizes drug users to return used needles in exchange for cash. Critics argue this approach may actually promote illegal drug use rather than curb it.
The city’s extensive $126 billion budget for the new fiscal year, which began on July 1, has earmarked $3 million to sustain the Department of Health’s community syringe redemption program, offering the public 20 cents per returned syringe.
This decision was publicly announced in the agency’s budget document to the New York City Council on June 30, right before lawmakers approved Mamdani’s first spending plan as mayor.
Addiction Response Resources, a nonprofit that started a similar initiative in Boston back in 2020, will oversee the program in New York City as part of an $11.1 million contract that runs until the end of next year.
Participants can return up to 50 syringes daily at eight designated drop-off points, earning $10 for their efforts (five locations in the Bronx, plus one each in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens).
Currently, there are no plans to broaden the program, aimed at removing hazardous syringes from public areas. It was initially approved in 2022 as a trial through a bill backed by progressive city councilors and officially launched in March 2025.
This initiative is funded through over $189 million obtained from settlements with large opioid manufacturers and distributors.
City Councilwoman Joanne Arriola (R-Queens) has criticized the approach, stating that the settlement funds should be directed entirely towards addiction treatment services instead of cash incentives for users returning needles.
“All this does is put money into addicts’ pockets so they can continue to fuel their habit rather than helping them get out of the disease,” Arriola remarked.
According to the Ministry of Health, over 2.3 million needles have been collected since the start of the pilot program about 16 months ago, with $292,000 given out to more than 1,700 participants in the first year.
The program’s popularity seems to have decreased the overall number of syringes the health department collects. However, officials insist that they are still allocating similar resources to cleaning up needles in parks and other public spots as before the program started. By Wednesday, health workers had picked up 26,229 needles this year—almost a third of the 64,560 retrieved during the same timeframe in 2025.
City Councilman Oswald Ferris, a Bronx Democrat with drop-off stations in his district, acknowledged the cleanup efforts but highlighted the potential negative implications of the program.
“Too often used syringes are left in front of schools and children’s parks,” he commented. “This should be treated with the seriousness it deserves. We shouldn’t create situations that might jeopardize the safety of vulnerable communities.”
Some drug users have welcomed the program, expressing a desire for more drop-off locations and no limits on how many syringes they can return.
“It’s definitely a side hustle for me,” said Tamia Wright, 43, after returning needles at Walter Gladwin Park in the Bronx. “I’m going to buy marijuana right now—and cigarettes!”
The Health Department’s spokesperson, Rachel Vick, praised the program, asserting that “everyone has the right to live in a community free of syringe litter.”
“The City’s Syringe Reimbursement Program will enable New Yorkers in our highest complaint areas to safely dispose of medical waste and connect those in need to nearby care while keeping our communities clean,” she added.
“We look forward to continuing this important work in the future.”
