REMARKS
Council Member Feliz introduces concerns about needle exchange programs
1:21:12
·
55 sec
Council Member Oswald Feliz opens the discussion by expressing concerns about needle exchange programs in his district. He acknowledges their life-saving potential but raises issues about their placement in sensitive areas like near children's libraries or playgrounds.
- Emphasizes the need for responsible placement of these programs
- Highlights the problem of needles accumulating in surrounding communities
- Questions the effectiveness of daily cleanup efforts
Oswald Feliz
1:21:12
Thank you.
1:21:13
Thank you so much, chairs, for this hearing.
1:21:15
So a few questions somewhat unrelated to the, 2 bills before us today.
1:21:20
So I have a few questions about, and I guess I'll be following up with, council member Mariano's, questions.
1:21:26
Few questions about, the needle exchange programs managed by, the Department of Health.
1:21:31
And I'm asking these questions because there's a few needle exchange programs in my district.
1:21:36
These exchange programs are life saving, but we need to make sure we're placing them in a way that, in areas where it's responsible to place them at.
1:21:44
If we know that having these programs could create issues in the community, why place them in front of a children's library or in front of a children's playground when we know the overall result is having hundreds of needles every single day in that surrounding community.
1:21:58
And of course, cleaning them up, is great, but the next day having another 100, which is, you know, obviously not a real, solution.
1:22:06
So a few questions.
