Why NYC Sanitation Workers Are Facing a Surge in Needle Injuries

New York City is full of a bunch of pricks.

The rise of GLP-1 drugs has led to a sharp uptick in injuries among Big Apple sanitation workers — thanks to needles being carelessly tossed in the trash.

So far in 2026, 57 needle-stick injuries have been reported among city Department of Sanitation workers — already exceeding the 51 recorded in all of 2025 and the 37 reported in 2024.