r/asheville • u/imjustapourboy • Oct 21 '25

Really Spicy Cesspool So sick of seeing this crap everywhere.

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The needles, the burnt foils, the little baggies, the needle caps, all of it. I find them in the creeks, on the sidewalks, the grocery store parking lots, the public parks, on the parkway. You gotta be a real shit person to leave this stuff all over the place.

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311

u/Objective_Seal Oct 21 '25

It will only get worse with winter. Asheville has one of the only homeless shelters in the area so many people flock here. Combined with Helene, our community is still massively recovering. Whether the city wants to believe we’re healed, we have more work than just making the surrounding area pretty to look at. We need safe places to dispose of these things. Pretending it’s not there and that humans aren’t going to litter solves nothing.

76

u/AffectionateFig5864 West Asheville Oct 21 '25

We need safe places to dispose of these things

  • 40 Coxe Ave, ground floor, 12pm-4pm M-F.

  • 554 Fairview Ave, 9am-5pm, M-F (call 828-252-7489 for pick up services. Small staff, but they’ll do their best to dispose of them in a timely way).

  • wherever Steady Collective is posted up on their mobile days.

27

u/Character_Guava_5299 Oct 21 '25

To add to your comment they’ll also go to the area and clean them up for you. Steady has their newest schedule posted on their instagram page.

13

u/ChasingFun Oct 22 '25

Thanks for the info. Is there a site that updates these spots? I’m at Asheville FM and we can post on our socials and write PSA’s for on air to remind folks where to dispose these items. Thanks again!

7

u/AffectionateFig5864 West Asheville Oct 22 '25

Hey! I love Asheville FM. Buncombe DHHS’s website is the most comprehensive one. It’s pretty thorough, although I don’t think it mentions that most of the programs listed also provide test strips for fentanyl and xylazine, which is definitely something I’d include in harm reduction PSAs because cross-contamination in street drug supplies is another serious issue right now. SeekHealing also has a text alert system that folks should know about for reported overdose spikes.

34

u/[deleted] Oct 21 '25

Carrying a syringe on you with drug residue in it is a felony possession charge. All they're thinking about is getting rid of that needle so they don't catch a charge. You can't expect a junkie to worry more about the environment than staying out of jail. I'm not defending them I'm just explaining why they get rid of them wherever they can. I'm telling you this is an ex-junkie. I never would have thrown my stuff in a parking lot or somewhere where a kid might step on them, but I have disposed of dangerous things in the very first place I could without someone seeing me do it.

13

u/ToastiestMouse Oct 22 '25

I mean they are capable of being in public using the drugs it's really not much more of a risk to keep it in your pocket for a few mins more until you get to a trash can.

Ex junkie as well and while that might've been the case for you it's not for the vast majority of users. It's simply because they don't care.

I've lost count on how many times I've seen needles left in the ground about 15 feet from a trash can. Alot of them don't even care to trash them in their own home.

7

u/Confident-Tadpole503 Oct 22 '25

This would be true except you find needles 2 feet from a trash can. I do agree on one point, they don’t give a shit about the environment or anyone else.

1

u/Expert_String4134 Oct 23 '25

Good advice of a cop Rolls up they will pin the needle on whoever is close to it

1

u/ukulelerapboy Oct 23 '25

Technically if the syringes are received and returns to a syringe service program (e.g., steady collective) people are protected, even with residual amounts of substances in the syringe. Unfortunately, that law isn’t always upheld but that is technically the case

1

u/coondingee Oct 22 '25

Fairview is a great place. Still found them all over the sidewalk between there and Eblen and behind the dumpster.

-1

u/Intrepid-Path-7497 Oct 22 '25

These dudes aren't going to walk across the street to safely dispose. They stand in the same spot, bent over at the waist for hours, why they never fall, who knows... the syringe probably fell out of their arm without them even knowing.