We provide services to:

• Keep our city safe from syringe litter
• Help people get:
  • Free clean syringes
  • Free naloxone (NARCAN)

In this section:

• Safe needle disposal
• Safe syringe and naloxone services
• NARCAN®

Learn about the state law that protects people who help those who overdose.

• Good Samaritan law

Professional needle disposal kits

We also created a professional safe needle pick-up kit. 

The pilot program offers a very limited number of free kits to residents. 

Five fire stations around the city will each carry five kits that will be handed out on a first come, first serve basis. 

Minneapolis fire station locations:

• Fire Station 2 – 143 13th Ave. NE
• Fire Station 6 – 121 E 15th St.
• Fire Station 7 – 2000 E Franklin Ave.
• Fire Station 14 – 2002 Lowry Ave.
• Fire Station 17 – 330 E 38th St.

Learn about Safe Stations

Drop boxes

Syringe drop boxes are an effective way to decrease syringe litter. You can find drop boxes in neighborhoods around the city.

Picking up needles without proper training could be dangerous. If you come across syringes in your community or you need information on drop box locations, contact 311.

Contact 311

Services provided

Safe syringe services provided by public health organizations include: 

• HIV and hepatitis C prevention and testing
• Naloxone (NARCAN) kits and training
• Syringe cleanup
• Referrals for substance abuse treatment and recovery support

Syringe exchange and free naloxone

These organizations provide syringe services to area residents:

• Steve Rummler Hope Network: Naloxone Access Point (NAP) Program
• Find NARCAN
• 555 Clinic
• NorthPoint: Harm reduction and testing services 
• Indigenous People's Task Force (IPTF)
• Red Door
• Rural AIDS Action Network (RAAN, Duluth)
• Southside Harm Reduction
• Steve Rummler Hope Network

First Narcan vending machine data (Fire Station 21)

Data from July 3, 2024 - April 30, 2025

• Launched: July 3, 2024
• Location: Fire Station 21
• Machine capacity: 150 boxes of nasal NARCAN (two doses per box)
• Stocking: Checked and restocked every 7-10 days (three to five times/month)

Boxes dispensed

• 1,700 boxes dispensed through April 30
• Highest Output: August 2024 - 276 boxes dispensed
• Lowest Output: February 2025 - 45 boxes dispensed
• Average number of boxes dispensed per month: 164

Surviving an opioid overdose

When a person overdoses on opioids:

• They need medical help quickly. This includes the life-saving medication naloxone (NARCAN).
• Someone with the person who overdosed might fear being arrested. This can prevent them from seeking or giving help.

Protection from prosecution

Minnesota's Good Samaritan law provides limited protection from criminal prosecution.

• The law encourages those who witness overdoses to seek help.
• Also known as Steve's Law, this law is named after Steve Rummler. Steve passed from an opioid overdose in 2011.

Resources

We’ve created posters and flyers with information on the Good Samaritan Law to help community members.

View our resources