Starbucks to install needle disposals in certain stores

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - You may soon see needle-disposal boxes in your favorite Starbucks. The company announced this as a safety measure for its employees.

The needle disposal boxes will be located in some Starbucks bathrooms in select markets. That decision will be made on a store-by-store basis.

"These societal issues affect us all and can sometimes place our partners (employees) in scary situations, which is why we have protocols and resources in place to ensure our partners are out of harm's way," Starbucks said in a statement.

Starbucks employees are pushing for the needle-deposit boxes after they reported finding blood and discarded needles and syringes in bathrooms, according to a USA Today article.

So Starbucks seems to be taking aim at the opioid epidemic, which in New York is horrific, according to Dr. Harris Stratyner, an expert in addiction. He said the needle-deposit boxes mean well but he would want Starbucks to do more.

"Wouldn't it be great if Starbucks—and maybe they will— if Starbucks said, 'We're going to offer lists of drug addiction centers and counselors,'" Stratyner said.

Fox 5 asked Starbucks about Stratyner's idea, when these needle deposit boxes will be installed in bathrooms, and what locations across the city and country. Starbucks did not answer our specific questions.