People finding used and discarded needles in the community are encouraged to phone the Houston Health Centre so employees can pick them up and safely discard them.
“If they’re comfortable, and have the appropriate supplies on hand, they can pick it up and bring it to a disposal box, or the health centre,” says Eryn Collins of the Northern Health Authority.
“If they are not comfortable, residents can call the health centre for help from the health centre outreach team.”
The advice follows growing concern in the community over the number of discarded needles being found in various places.
Although there are three public disposal locations — the health centre, the mall and at 7-1-1 — and disposal or “sharps” containers are available from the health centre, not everyone who picks up injection kits at the centre then safely discards needles once used.
“We recognize that many communities have challenges with used and discarded drug paraphernalia. Everyone who uses needles needs a safe way to dispose of them, but they sometimes wind up in the garbage or on the ground if people don’t see an easy way to get rid of them safely,” Collins added.
“Most people are able to return their needles, but there are lots of reasons why they might not be able to do so every time; and stigma related to drug use may be the greatest influence on needle litter,” she said.
“If needle distribution sources turn away people who’ve lost their needles for whatever reason, then their only choice is to share with others.”
Still, said Collins, “we do strongly encourage and facilitate needle recovery, without making this an absolute condition” and that when rigid conditions are placed on the distribution of needles, the result is more sharing and more spread of infection.
“We distribute sharps containers, we ask people to bring back their used needles, and we let people know that this is an expectation. Based on this approach, we do recover 90-95 per cent of the needles we distribute regionally.”
So far this year approximately 3,000 needles have been distributed by the health centre along with 100 disposal units.
Across the region, more than 15,000 sharps containers have been distributed for the first six months of this year to people, various agencies and locations.
Those who do pick up injection kits are offered counselling and substance use information and programs but acceptance is not a condition of obtaining new kits, said Collins.
She did add the health centre does have services ranging from response to a crisis, short and long term counselling within individual, family or group settings, life skills, medication management and psychiatric consultation.
Harm reduction kits typically contain needles, water, alcohol swabs and tourniquets.
For clients who smoke drugs instead of injecting them, kits can also contain glassware and mouthpiece screens.