By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN — The City Council has a message for the bed bugs wreaking havoc on New York: Drop dead.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs and Council Member Gail Brewer announced a new $500,000 plan on Wednesday to eliminate the blood-sucking pests from the city, including the creation of a new "Bed Bug Web Portal" and a dedicated staff to help stamp out infestations.
"We want to say to bed bugs from the New York City Council: Drop Dead. Your days are over. They're numbered. We're not gonna take it any more," Quinn said in front of City Hall.
Even "the mayor has many friends who have bed bugs," Councilwoman Brewer said, stressing that economics have nothing to do with infestations. She added that part of the problem with bed bugs is stigma, which causes people to ignore them until it becomes difficult to solve.
The city has seen a whopping increase in the number of bed-bug related complaints in recent years, with 33,772 311 calls in 2009, up from 13,332 in 2006, according to the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.
The seemingly-impossible-to-get-rid-of little bugs have even forced the shut-downs of some of the city's biggest-name retailers, including Hollister's SoHo location, the Abercrombie & Fitch store at the South Street Seaport, and Victoria's Secret's 58th Street location.
The goal of the city's bed bug plan is to help New Yorkers learn how to prevent, identify and treat the bed bug problem, which has become a serious public health concern, Brewer said.
The recommendations stem from a report from the Bed Bug Advisory Board, which was created last year in light of growing concern over the problem.
The report, released today, stresses the need for more education, awareness and early education, as well as setting clearer guidelines for treatment.
