Cleaning up Boston’s neighborhood of used hypodermic needles is both personal and purposeful William Smith or “Smitty” as he goes by.
“I was once one of them. On the average a crew, we probably pull 1,000 needles in a day,” Smitty said.
“More needles than garbage”
He’s part of a drug addiction recovery program group called Homeless Back2Work, supported by the Newmarket Business Improvement District. Working with the city’s 311 system, they stop at nothing to make sure neighborhoods are clear of needles from Nubian Square to Ramsey Park to the South End. “I am finding needles more than garbage,” Smitty said.
Earlier this month, 4-year-old Mason Flynn-Bradford accidently stepped on a used needle while celebrating a family cookout along the greenway in South Boston. He’s had several blood tests for infections and is now on medications…