Needles found in Charlottetown parks highlight need for open space sharps disposals

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The variety of hypodermic needles turning up in Charlottetown’s greenspaces has prompted dialogue on social media in addition to the acquisition of puncture-proof gloves for metropolis employees.

Scott Adams, public works supervisor for town, stated whereas his division does not know if the variety of syringes discovered or reported within the metropolis has elevated, employees have begun seeing them in uncommon locations.

“We don’t have deal with on the variety of needles we’ve seen previously versus what we’re seeing now, however what we’re seeing is we’re discovering them in locations that wouldn’t have usually discovered them,” he stated. “We have now discovered them in among the squares within the downtown space, notably in flower beds and locations like that.”

Further precautions

Adams stated the invention of syringes in locations the place the general public spends time and workers do hands-on work has pushed town to take some precautions, comparable to offering them with new gear like puncture-proof gloves.

“Simply to make sure if they’re working within the dust or one thing, they don’t choose up one thing that shouldn’t have been there within the first place,” he stated.

Adams stated crews test parks for hazards, however there isn’t any set schedule for employees to be in particular parks.

Discovering hazardous supplies comparable to syringes may also be tough and could be a shock for many who discover them, stated Adams.

“Typically they get buried or hidden in bushes and such,” stated Adams. “Usually, what our crews do after they get on web site is that they do a web site evaluation first, have a look round the place they’re going to be working that day to determine if there are any sharps earlier than they start work.”

Disposal websites

Whereas there are some public sharps disposal containers across the metropolis, comparable to at Metropolis Corridor and the Charlottetown Station 1 hearth corridor, Charlottetown doesn’t have any open house disposals arrange. Adams stated that’s one thing town has been wanting into.

“It’s an ongoing dialogue to seek out these locations to place a protected sharps disposal (container),” he stated. “The problem is, do we wish them the place kids are, the place somebody might knock it off, tear it off a put up and harm it in a single day in an space the place children might be the following morning? It’s one thing we’re , however we haven’t discovered the best resolution to make sure security for everybody who could also be getting into that park.”

An answer to that problem has already been delivered to town’s consideration, stated Gregg McCardle, a former hurt discount employee.

Earlier this yr, McCardle submitted a proposal to town for tamper-proof, everlasting open house disposal containers. The containers, which seem like outdated Canada Publish mailboxes, can be cemented to the bottom and would enable for each particular person used needles and full sharps containers to be disposed of.

Within the proposal, he specified the prices for the containers – round $1,200 a chunk plus set up – and the place he want to see them arrange, he stated.

“Particularly, in heavy use areas within the metropolis plus in any parks and inexperienced house the place you are going to have children enjoying,” he stated. “The aim is hurt discount for each most of the people, together with kids, and the customers themselves so that they will use clear needles each time and cease the concern of contracting HIV or Hep C.”

Sharps disposal

The provincial needle alternate program affords protected needle disposal on the following places:

• Boardwalk Skilled Centre, 220 Water St. Charlottetown on Monday, Tuesday, Friday from 1-3:30 p.m.
• Public Well being Nursing in Montague at 126 Douses Rd., Tuesdays from 1-3:30 p.m.
• Public Well being Nursing on the Souris Hospital, Wednesdays from 1-3:30 p.m.
• Harbourside Medical Centre in Summerside at 243 Heather Moyse Dr., Tuesday and Thursday 1-3:30 p.m.
• Neighborhood Hospital in O’Leary, Tuesdays from 1-3:30 p.m.
• Western Hospital in Alberton, Tuesdays from 1-3:30 p.m.
• The PEERS Alliance needle alternate growth affords a drop-off location for used injection tools and different drug paraphernalia for protected disposal on the Neighborhood Outreach Centre in Charlottetown from 8 a.m. to eight p.m. day by day.

Private containers

This isn’t the primary time McCardle has tried to handle the needle situation in Charlottetown – In 2021, McCardle, whereas working on the Neighborhood Outreach Centre, started a program the place he handed out small, private syringe disposal kits to these in want.

The containers, which have been colored a discreet darkish grey and sufficiently small to slot in a backpackc pouch, would maintain a complete of 12 new and used needles, permitting customers to get rid of their syringes in a protected place till they might get someplace to toss the container out. He stated he has since handed administration of this system to PEERS Alliance.

McCardle stated he received the thought whereas talking with somebody with habit points in regards to the struggles intravenous drug customers have relating to utilizing and discarding needles.

“Plenty of the locations have (containers) of their washrooms, however a number of them haven’t got entry to, say, a Tim Hortons rest room as a result of they have been caught taking pictures up in there and so they’ve been barred from that facility. So public washrooms aren’t an important place for them, so it forces them into the outside,” he stated.

Whereas handing out private disposal containers and putting in tamper-proof disposal websites across the metropolis will assist lower the variety of needles being left in parks, greenspaces and public areas, McCardle stated what is really wanted is a safe-injection web site.

“We’re the one main metropolis in Canada that does not have a delegated protected injection web site,” he stated.

He added, “I feel the most important hurdle was that the federal authorities has to legislate that the regulation round unlawful substance use be lifted for that property. Thoughts you, it has been performed all over the place else in Canada, so it should not be that large a hurdle.”

Whereas McCardle has stepped away from his hurt discount work, focusing as an alternative on habit restoration by means of The Phoenix Basis, which he based, he stated he’s going to method town once more in regards to the everlasting disposal containers to see if they will work collectively on implementing them all through the group.

Adams advised SaltWire Community town has no plan presently for open house containers.

Cody McEachern is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He may be reached by electronic mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @CodyInHiFi.