"The Pungent Smell of Marijuana"... The Big Apple Suffers from Horrible Odors [New York Diary]

Crossing through the heart of Manhattan in New York, the smell of marijuana (cannabis) hits the nose. Since New York State legalized recreational marijuana in 2021, with around 8,000 cannabis shops thriving, it is difficult to avoid the smell of marijuana. When the hot summer arrives, another unpleasant odor is added to Manhattan. The smell of garbage, which is more pungent than usual.

According to local media, since May, there have been 3,756 complaints reported to New York City regarding garbage odors. This is nearly a 4% increase compared to 3,619 complaints during the same period last year. Except for 2022, when street cleaning regulations were relaxed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the highest number of complaints since 2010. Among the five boroughs of New York City, Manhattan accounted for the largest share of garbage odor complaints at 33%. Following were Brooklyn and Queens with 23.8% each, the Bronx at 10.3%, and Staten Island at 4.6%.

The increase in complaints about garbage odors in New York City is a result of the heatwave that hit the city earlier this month, with temperatures exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius). The heat has made the garbage odor spreading on the streets more unbearable than usual. Earlier this month, the '3rd Avenue Bridge' connecting Manhattan and the Bronx even stopped functioning due to the heat. With this high temperature and rising humidity, various bacteria and germs rapidly multiply on piles of garbage, raising the discomfort level of New Yorkers.

New York City maintains that the odor has been significantly reduced by changing the garbage disposal method. Until now, New Yorkers used to put garbage in plastic bags and leave the bags on the street. However, since September last year, the city has required business owners operating restaurants to use fully sealed trash bins with lids when disposing of garbage, and from March this year, this regulation was expanded to all businesses. The city explains that this regulation aims to repel the rats rampant in New York, and without these trash bin disposal regulations, the odor would have been much worse during this heatwave.

New York is the largest city in the United States and undoubtedly an attractive place that everyone wants to visit or live in at least once. The dazzling Times Square, skyscrapers packed tightly together, iconic landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, and Central Park running through Manhattan ? the symbols of the "Big Apple" (New York City's nickname) are countless. However, the pervasive foul odors on the streets of Manhattan and the occasional rats encountered in subway stations or on the streets remain difficult to get used to. Attention is focused on whether New York City's garbage disposal regulations and rat control efforts will succeed.