Charleston restricts harm-reduction syringe services through a 2018 ordinance requiring participants to show ID and limiting one-for-one exchange. The rules followed concerns about discarded needles in public spaces.
Charleston City Council passed restrictive needle-exchange rules in 2018 after a Kanawha-Charleston Health Department program drew complaints about discarded syringes. The ordinance requires syringe service programs operating in the city to verify participant identity, distribute syringes only on a strict one-for-one return basis, and refer participants to treatment services. State law (W. Va. Code §16-64) added further licensing requirements for harm-reduction programs in 2021. Needles found in public spaces should be reported to code enforcement or police; the city provides sharps containers at certain public locations.
Operating a noncompliant syringe service program can trigger city citations and loss of state licensure. Improper disposal of used syringes is a separate public-health violation.
Charleston, WV
West Virginia Senate Bill 167, enacted in 2017, prohibits sanctuary policies. Charleston cannot adopt rules barring police cooperation with federal immigrati...
Charleston, WV
Charleston cannot set its own minimum wage above the West Virginia rate of 8.75 dollars per hour set by W. Va. Code Section 21-5C-2. State law preempts local...
Charleston, WV
Charleston levies a business and occupation gross receipts tax under Chapter 10 of the City Code, with rates that vary by business classification such as ret...
Charleston, WV
Charleston has not adopted a hotel worker retention ordinance like those in some larger cities. Hotel sales or change-of-control transactions in Charleston f...
Charleston, WV
Charleston hotel guests pay a 6 percent city hotel occupancy tax under W. Va. Code Chapter 7 plus a 6 percent state consumer sales tax, totaling roughly 12 p...
Charleston, WV
Charleston enforces loud party rules through the city noise ordinance and disorderly conduct provisions in Chapter 24, with stronger response near East End r...
See how Charleston's syringe disposal rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.