Drugs and syringes have become such a problem in Starbucks bathrooms ...

Business Insider ^ | January 9, 2019 | Kate Taylor

[reaganaut1]

Starbucks is installing boxes for safe disposal of syringes in the bathrooms of certain locations, following workers' reports of discarded needles and sometimes concerning conditions.

The coffee giant is exploring remedies after employees expressed fears about being pricked by uncapped needles and experiencing related health risks. Starbucks is testing solutions, including installing sharps-disposal boxes, using heavier-duty trash bags to prevent needle pokes, and removing trash cans from certain bathrooms.

"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 representative Reggie Borges told Business Insider.

As of Wednesday, more than 3,700 people have signed a petition on Coworker.org, calling for Starbucks to place needle-disposal boxes in high-risk bathrooms.

"My coworkers and I had all experienced needles left behind in the bathroom, store, and even in our drive-thru," said one person who signed the petition after working at a Starbucks location in Lynnwood, Washington, for three years. The three Starbucks employees who spoke with Business Insider for this article asked to either remain anonymous or to be referred to by only their first name, in order to speak frankly.

"My primary fear when I worked there would be taking out the bathroom garbages," the former employee, who quit in 2018, told Business Insider. "I was terrified that if I went to take the bag out, I would get poked by a needle I didn't know was there."

Starbucks trains employees on how to safely deal with hypodermic needles. According to the company, any employee who feels unsafe performing a task is encouraged to speak with his or her manager and will not be made to perform the action.

[TnTnTn]

Ohhhh noooos....who would have suspected.....I’m happy starsucks has volunteered to be a crack house for the leftists.....

[JGPhila]

Let’s give a big shout-out to Philadelphia for the latest lunacy. Rather than enforce a customer only use of restroom facilities, a Philadelphia Starbucks location surrendered its right to conduct business on its own terms when confronted by two men who parked themselves in a neighborhood locale, bought nothing, complained when told the bathrooms were only for customers and refused to leave until taken outside by the police. Now, we see the result of Starbuck’s appeasement - incubators of disease in every store. But, rest assured. Should any employee contract a disease from a discarded syringe, Starbucks vigorously will oppose any claim for workers compensation.