Jun 25, 2008 9:43 pm US/Pacific
Dirty Needles Found In Woodland Playground
WOODLAND (CBS13) ―
Parents were furious after dirty needles turned up in a Woodland playground, and the city's mayor is blaming a needle exchange program for the dangerous litter.
Yolo County approved a syringe exchange program in hopes of curbing the spread of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis, as well as a reduction of dirty needles ditched in public places.
"People are bringing back more than taking out, so it is cleaning up the streets and public places," said Helen Thompson, a Yolo County Supervisor.
Woodland Mayor Dave Flory isn't so enthusiastic. "This sort of got out of hand from our perspective," he said.
Flory said he never knew that needles would be handed out at local parks, and is planning on asking the county to move the program somewhere else.
"There seems to be a greater amount [of needles] we're finding since they started this program in our parks," Flory said.
Thompson disagrees with the idea that the exchange program is responsible for the needles found in the park's sandbox. "Needles were there before the program started," she said.
"If this program stops, the needles will continue to be there," she added.
The county has suspended its program at local parks for now, until a final compromise is reached with the city.
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