Needles Part of Spring Cleaning

Photograph by: Don Healy, Leader-Post files

Celebration Lutheran Church stopped by the Mission today to borrow our washrooms and our Sharps collector. Their young people were working on a North Central clean-up project, and spent the afternoon cleaning up garbage in the neighbourhood. They kept running into needles, which reminded me of the article in the Leader-Post a couple of days ago, parts of which are quoted below:

Regina Leader-Post
Adriana Christianson

REGINA -- Every spring, melting snow reveals hundreds of used needles left on the streets and in the parks of Regina.

Suzanne Nasewich, supervisor of communicable diseases with the health region, said the annual spring clean-up is part of Public Health Services' "Street Project." Last year, volunteers picked up 645 used needles found on public property. In previous years, this number has ranged from 500 to 1,000.

She said the number of used needles found outdoors always seem to increase in the spring simply due to snow melting. She noted that the targeted areas for the two-day spring clean-up will be North Central and the Core areas of Regina.

"The blanket has lifted and you can see what is there," Nasewich said, noting that used needles can be found in any neighbourhood and it is impossible to tell the difference between a needle used by a diabetic for medication and one used to inject drugs.

In addition to the spring clean-up, the health region also collected 14,196 needles in 2008, responding to calls from concerned residents. Also last year 18,005 used needles were left in drop-off boxes in three locations around Regina.

Angela Prawzick, spokeswoman for the Regina Fire Department, said in 2008 the department made 417 trips to pick-up needles around the city.

"If there is a discarded needle found on public property, or on private property accessible to the public, then we will respond if another organization is not able to respond," Prawzick said.

She said the fire department has been acting to combat this issue for 10 years and public awareness about used needles has increased since then, leading to more calls for safe disposal.

Discarded needles are generally perceived as a health hazard because they may carry blood-borne diseases such as HIV or hepatitis. However, Nasewich said outdoor elements would kill any diseases carried by a needle left out for even a few hours.

"The relative risk of acquiring a blood-borne disease like HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C from a discarded needle on the streets of Regina is approaching zero, it is very, very low," she said, citing national health studies which show no cases contracting these diseases from needles left outdoors.

Anyone who does sustain a needle stick injury should still seek emergency medical attention, according to Nasewich. She also advises anyone in this situation to wash the wound with warm water and let it bleed freely before going to an emergency room.

"People need to realize that they could be harmful, and should be handled with care," she said.

Anyone who finds discarded needles can contact the health region to determine the safest way to dispose of them. If residents are comfortable removing a needle on their own, they should stay clear of the sharp end, use tongs and place it into a hard-sided container with a lid. Nasewich referred to the city bylaw against throwing any used needles into regular garbage and said kits are also available from the health region to dispose of needles in private residences.

Anyone wishing to organize a community clean-up in the hood or North Central can feel free to use Souls Harbour RESCUE Mission as a stomping ground.