King County needle exchange program halted in Federal Way after outcry from city leaders (AP) A mobile needle exchange program has been put on hold in Federal Way, after the city’s mayor, city council, and several residents expressed concerns over the way it operates. Concerns first began to take shape in late March, after a Federal Way woman witnessed a Seattle-King County Public Health van exchanging needles in a park-and-ride lot. Posing as a drug user, she reported being able to receive a box of 100 needles, and observed people shooting up blocks away from the exchange. Not long after that, Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell expressed frustration with the program, stating that he was not aware the county was offering the service to those without permanent residences, and that the county was “certainly not doing this with our consent or even notification.”